4th Down and Longshot
by MSCIBET
Summary: Chloe finds herself without a team member at the high school charity football game. An unexpected volunteer surprises her with more than just a sponsorship. COMPLETE
1. Finding a Sponsor

A/N - Hey, I'm back on with a new Chlex story. These first parts are already on N-S, but of course needed to post them here too. With it being my favorite season, that is football, I am inspired. If you have a Lex love, go find MR playing flag football and this will make this piece even more real. BTW, I love feedback.

Finding a Sponsor – Ch 1

Chloe walked through the Talon and sat down in the back corner table next to the door. An errant waitress brought Chloe's favorite latte to the table and smiled politely. Chloe dug through her bag and pulled out a bright yellow sheet of paper and stared at it. Her lip wrinkled up and she sighed to herself as she pulled out a pad and a pencil. She knew that this moment would actually come someday since it was a routine fundraiser for every senior class every year. And once again her news editor position required her to write a riveting article about a lame fundraiser.

She knew that she was just bitter, but the fundraiser was a neat idea. She looked over at the couple reaching across the counter to each other. Of course Lana would drag her old cheerleader outfit out for this occasion since she was sponsoring Clark no doubt with her small profits from the Talon. She watched as they giggled and ran their fingers over each other at the counter in disgust. Sighing again, Chloe realized that she in her own senior year would end up writing the senior sports event article by herself with no personal attachment to it.

Leaning back and putting his feet up on the small coffee table, Lex flipped through the paper annoyed. Lowering the paper, he realized the annoying little snorts and laughter came from the front counter where Lana was fawning over Clark as usual. As happy as he was that Clark finally landed the woman who he had wanted for so long, Clark needed to learn how to be cool in public. Drooling quarterbacks are not very attractive. He watched as Lana continued to giggle, and Lex rolled his eyes. Folding his paper up, he finished off his drink and headed for the door.

Walking through the bright foyer, he noticed the long off gaze of Chloe Sullivan. He stopped in front of her table and watched her push her pencil around her pad and marveled at how accurate her halfhearted attempt at a football was. He watched her stare off into space and occasionally sigh to what she thought was herself when she looked in the direction of Lana and Clark.

"Makes it hard to concentrate, doesn't it?" Chloe startled back to reality and noticed the slick pants and spotless shoes that stood in front of her. Rolling her eyes, she looked back down to the picture that she had drawn, ripped the page off, and threw it across the table.

Rolling her eyes, she looked at the bright yellow paper again and started figuring out what she was going to write. "You know I just thought that my senior year might be a little different." She glanced once more up toward Lex and then back to her paper. Lex twisted his head around to the side and read.

Pulling the seat across from her out, he sat down and twisted the paper around to read it aloud. "It's time for the Senior Class Charity Flag Football Game. Gals, sponsor your man for a place on either the red or the gold team. This year we're playing for the Metropolis Children's Home." Lex turned the sheet back to Chloe and halfway smiled. "Let me guess, the former cheerleader is sponsoring the current quarterback."

"I haven't asked, but I have that distinct feeling." Chloe turned up her lip again as she looked over in their direction. "I don't know why that I thought this year would be any different." Chloe looked at the fundraising paper again and started shoving her stuff in her bag. Getting up from the table, she somewhat smiled at Lex and walked out the door. Lex looked at the fundraising paper again that she left there and nodded to himself.

He remembered back to the summer before when he had poorly hidden her and her father away from his father. He admitted he was still learning to play his father's games but never meant to put her and her father into that kind of danger. Ever since Clark had found her instead of himself, he had kept his distance. He didn't understand his reasons. He figured he was just afraid to make another mistake with her.

He wished she could realize that she was special too. He understood being the more sophisticated, the more responsible of the group. He understood her and her position in the Smallville High crowd. There was no reason why she shouldn't enjoy her senior year just because her friends had evidently forgotten her. His father was a non issue, she was now eighteen, and it was the perfect opening for him to finally get to where he wanted to be months ago when everything went wrong. He ordered up two more coffees to go and headed out the door.

Chloe sat at the computer in the living room and stared at the blinking cursor. She knew that Lana had already pocketed most of the Talon's clientele to sponsor Clark as the quarterback for the Red team. Most all the cheerleaders had divided up the rest of the football team among the two colors, so she could write on the need for a few more players in choice positions. With Clark as quarterback, not many were giving the gold team much of a chance.

Chloe looked up as she heard the doorbell ring. Lana had called earlier and said that she was closing late and Clark was sticking around with her. Chloe could have guessed the last part. Crossing across the floor, she pulled the front door open and backed up seeing the man she left sitting in the Talon at her table. "Lex?"

"I bet you are wondering why in the world I'm here?" He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned on the doorjamb, holding the bright yellow paper in his hand.

"The thought is actually crossing my mind right now." Chloe paused and slightly smiled at his aloofness. "Come in."

"So, where's your dad tonight?"

"He went to see Sam Lane with Lois at Ft. Polk for the weekend. My idea of hanging out on an army post is not my idea of fun. Anyway."

Lex entered the small house that her father and her now lived in. Taking off his overcoat, he threw it over the back of the rocking chair and sat down on the couch comfortably.

"Make yourself comfortable. You want anything to drink?" Lex nodded and Chloe sat down next to him, looking over her article once more before closing the computer.

"Not getting very far?"

"I don't think two complex sentences counts as an article. More like a blurb. Anyway, what can I do you for?" Chloe leaned back on the couch and grabbed a throw pillow to hold onto as she fell into the other corner of the couch.

Lex thrust his hip up in the air to the pleasure of Chloe to pull something out of his pocket. Unfolding the small sheet of paper, he handed her the paper. "I figure you should enjoy your senior festivities and have something to write about."

Chloe opened the check and gaped at the enormous amount written on the check. "Umm, I don't think you quite understand. I'm supposed to find a guy to sponsor and then get people to pay for him to play." Lex silently questioned her confusion. "Lex, this is $5000, and if you haven't noticed I still don't have a person to play. So, as much as I appreciate the charity, maybe you donating directly would be a bigger boon to your PR."

Refusing to take the check back, he leaned over closer to her. "I don't think you get it. I want to play. So, what positions are left?"

Chloe looked at the check again and then at Lex. "Umm, wow. It's a pretty even split right now except that most of the jocks are choosing the red team because of Clark. This is what's left." Chloe handed the list to Lex and watched as his eyes scanned the list.

He sat so casually on the couch, with his dark blue shirt now undone at the neck, obviously losing the tie on the way to her house. She missed being able to see him so casual this year. After spending so much time together the year before, she had hoped that they could have reconnected when she returned and wondered why he never made the effort. This, she supposed, was the best effort she would get.

He watched her expression change from confusion to excitement as he took the list from her. He felt her almost jump when his fingers ran over hers briefly taking the list from her. Looking over the list, he eyed Chloe over the top of the paper. Her eyes floated back and forth from looking at him almost giddy and staring at the ceiling in impatience.

"How about tight end for the gold team?"

Chloe tried to hold herself together to keep from pointing out that was appropriate for him. "Tight end? Can you outrun very large high school boys?" Lex saw the concern on Chloe's face as she asked the question.

Scooting across the couch closer to her, he wrapped his arm around the back of the couch where she sat and leaned into her, looking at the list once more. "I think I can hold my own. Besides, my personal cheerleader and fundraiser will be there in case I get hurt." Chloe looked up at Lex and noticed he was only inches from where she was sitting. She hadn't even noticed his change in demeanor as she was more worried about his health. She giggled nervously.

"Ok, thanks!" Throwing the paper on the floor and laying the check on the table, she leaned over and hugged him instinctively. "I don't know how to thank you."

Bringing his hand off the couch, he rubbed her back and through her hair. He watched as she leaned her head back into the pressure of his palm. Opening her eyes, she looked into his steel blue eyes and gulped. Biting her lip, she pulled further away and started rubbing her hands up and down his silk shirt.

Lex continued to run his hand through her hair and watched her eyes. Her breathing increased and he could see her cheeks becoming more flushed. Leaning into her neck, he breathed, "I can think of a couple of ways." He felt her shiver as he placed a small kiss on the curve of her neck. Coming back up, he concentrated on her face and waited for her eyes to respond.

"Lex," she whispered as she felt her the wave of her old emotions for him return. They had never done anything the whole summer they were able to be alone together, but she thought about it constantly. She saw Clark and Lana together and hoped someone someday would be like that with her, fawning for her. Lex wasn't like that but she didn't care. She just wanted to feel appreciated, but she didn't want to be charity. "You don't have to do this for me – any of this."

Lex looked at her sadness that overtook her face. He rubbed his hand down the side of her cheek and smiled. "I'm not doing this for you." He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and took a chance.

He pressed his lips into hers and felt her mouth open up to his. Closing his eyes, he put his other hand behind her body and adjusted her to lean further back into the couch. He ran his tongue inside her lips and felt her quietly moan as her hands started exploring his back. He could feel her teeth nip at the small scar on his top lip. He crushed his mouth deeper onto hers and felt the heat build up between them as he balanced over her, careful not to lean directly on her without her permission.

Chloe couldn't tell how long she had quit breathing but pushed Lex back off of her. "We can't do this…"

Lex immediately sat up and straightened out his shirt, trying to compose himself. "You're right. I'm so sorry." He watched as Chloe jumped off the couch and headed to the front foyer. "I should be going." Lex started to pick up his coat and Chloe took his hand.

"I meant we can't do this on the couch. Come on." Lex smiled and bit his lip as she led him up the stairs.


	2. 1st Down

1st Down – Chapter 2

Lex slid his hand out of Chloe's as he followed her up the stairs. She just accepted his offer when he said it was for him as much as her. Watching her perfect ass sway in front of him, almost at eye level, was too much. Lex reached out and grabbed her by both sides, running his hands underneath her shirt and speeding up her pace up the stairs.

Chloe jumped feeling his strong hands intertwine around her waist, and she partially giggled. Reaching the top of the stairs, she turned in his hands as he pressed her against the wall of the upstairs hallway. "Which door?" Before letting her answer him back, he pressed his body into her and covered her mouth with his. Running his hand down her side, he ran the other under her shirt and felt of her warm milky breast under the simple cotton bra.

Standing up on her tip toes, she felt her body begin gyrating against his thigh tucked neatly between her legs. She slid a hand out and grabbed a doorknob and turned. Lex looked up from his ravishing of her neck and pulled her into him. Looking into the room, he stopped momentarily and looked at her. "Your father's room?"

Chloe panted through her words, "Unless you would rather try the twin bed in my room." Lex raised an eyebrow and picked her up, Chloe wrapping her legs around his waist. Chloe let a sigh out feeling the obvious bulge from Lex's hardened cock against her already dampened clit under her pants.

Lex moaned slightly feeling Chloe rub her fingernails lightly down the back of his head and his neck before plunging her mouth back onto his. Setting her down on the bed, he pushed back and gazed at her. "Chloe, you are an incredible young woman, but –"

"No, no buts." Chloe ran her hands along the button line of his fancy dress shirt and undid the top button. "How long have you wanted this Lex? Wanted me? I'm not into sympathy fucks." She undid another button as she felt his hands rub gently through her hair and down her shoulders.

Leaning over into the nape of her neck, he kissed her behind the ear and whispered, "Since last summer." Chloe closed her eyes and felt for another button and undid it as she felt Lex reach around and unsnap her bra. Pushing back against him, he watched as she fished the small piece of cotton out around her arms and threw it across the room.

Taking his hands, she placed them on each side of her shirt, pulling the excess shirt over his hands and then continued on his next button. Leaning into him as he leaned over to her, she whispered back, "I've wanted you since I first met you." Lex pulled back and looked at her, not letting go her where she had placed his hands. Chloe watched his expression of dumbfoundness and responded, "It was always easier to convince people I had a secret crush on Clark than his billionaire friend." She undid another two buttons and pulled his shirt open.

Lex's hands slid carefully up inside Chloe shirt. His hands could feel the small tingles of her goosebumps and he couldn't help break a smile. Women hadn't shown emotion outwardly with him that was honest in a long time. Sometimes he enjoyed the small sounds and motions of enjoyment. Guiding his thumbs lightly over her nipples, he continued pushing the shirt higher over her head until her chest was open for him to see. Letting go briefly, he shrugged his shirt off and closed his eyes and moaned when he felt her fingernails graze over his nipples in return.

Chloe turned and pulled the sheets back on the bed and moved to the middle of the bed. She halfway giggled at Lex standing next to the bed topless and confused. She signaled for him to come to her. He crawled across the edge of the bed to meet her and pushed her back into the pillows. Lex leaned over and smiled at her as she ran her hands along the ripples in his arms holding him over her. "So, Chloe Sullivan, what do you want?"

"I want you." Nodding and exhaling, Lex carefully bent over her and kissed her as he felt her tugging his belt out of his pants. Hearing the belt fall to the floor, he moved slowly down her neck, kissing her not so hot skin gently on either side of her shoulders and then down between her breasts. Guiding her hands above her head, he glanced up to see her eyes close and could feel hear guttural moans from her chest.

He held himself off her slightly, still working out her preferences. She wasn't nervous or remote but he didn't want to maul her too much and ruin her mood. Chloe's hips shifted and her legs parted wide from his body. He knelt up and slid his finger under the top of her pants. Her eyes sparkled up at him as he untied the drawstring, propping himself on his knees. Her hands grazed down the pillows and back to his arms. He guided one of her legs over to his other side and slipped off the pajama pants.

Chloe brought her bare leg back over his body and again laid now completely open for Lex's haunting. She continued to rake her fingers over his perfectly built abs and chest as he ran his hands along her luscious legs, making sure to tease the inside of her thighs a little higher each time. He felt tiny bucks as he neared her hot center that made her slightly giggle some.

He felt her fingers again run inside the top layer of his slacks and his chest tightened. Looking down into her eyes, he exhaled deeply and momentarily grabbed the inside of her thighs in gripping response to her gliding a finger over the tip of his hardened cock. Seeing his look of ecstasy, she nodded out of satisfaction. She gave him a pull and he let himself land on top of her, keeping some of his weight up.

"Hey, stop trying to control yourself," she pouted comically. "I'm driving you wild with desire. You're helping me defile my own dear father's bed. Where's the snarling beast of lust, mad with power over my shivering flesh? Where is your excitement from my fear?" She raked her fingers through the top of his pants again and felt his slight buck.

He looked down at her dryly, his eyebrow quirked deliciously.

"You don't look frightened, and snarling beastliness is showy but not very effective," he corrected her. "Not like finesse."

"Is that what you call it when you barely hang on to your senses?" She giggled and reached slightly further and nipped the tip of his cock in her fingers. Grabbing her hand, he pressed it back into the pillows and pressed down into her, the hollow of her pelvis letting his erection rub up her center.

Chloe wound her arms around his neck and drew him to her mouth. Her lips were curved into a smile when they met his. They kissed deeply, tongues twining around each other. She started squirming around, her hands running down his back and bypassing his hips. Lex felt her brushing against his front in small, accidental touches. He pulled his mouth away, anchored his hands in her hair and held her upper half still as her legs and hips shifted around.

Chloe had one leg almost out of her underwear, her other leg trapped in them. She bent the other bare leg and pushed the small cotton garment off her ankle, tilting Lex in the process. He grunted, his hands moving down to her hips and finding only soft skin.

"Fast," he commented appreciatively, not thinking about any possible insult she might take from it.

She giggled and unbuttoned his pants as he tried to toe off his shoes. The zipper hitched and she gave it a rough yank that pushed her own hand hard against her heat, Lex's weight holding her down. Lex started a rocking motion with his hips, watching her as he unfastened the pants completely and shoved them and his boxers down.

Almost lost of her consciousness, Chloe concentrated on toeing off Lex's socks for him while continuing to feel her herself become wetter.

Lex looked at Chloe squarely, "Was that necessary?"

Leaning to her side, she watched as the last sock slid off his toes, and smiled. "Yes, now you're really naked." Lex tilted his head to the side and smirked. Leaning over her, he ran his hand along her chest, massaging each breast gently as she continued running her fingers between him and her.

He let her ride her own fingers for a minute more, rocking down to her trembling. Backing up slightly, Lex ran his hands down her arms and cupped her breasts together and he teethed both of her nipples at once. Looking up from her chest, Chloe's face was pink, her breasts meltingly pliant under his tongue.

"Oh, yeah, that's good," she moaned.

Chloe had buried one finger deep within herself and was using the rest of her hand to stimulate the surface. Moving back up to her, every few seconds Lex would add the pressure of his body. On one surge of her hips the back of her hand hit hot flesh and her eyes opened to see him.

She pulled her finger out with a sucking noise and wrapped that hand around his cock. It was hard, big and throbbing with his pulse. They smiled at each other with delight they were both naked.

"This is incredible," Chloe gasped. She squeezed him and watched his abdomen clench.

Sounding a little choked, Lex asked, "This -" He thrust into her grip. "-or this?"

His arms crawled under her back and glued their chests together. Her mouth might have been open to answer but he covered it and filled it with his tongue. Chloe moved her fingers over him, imagining how he would feel once he got in. Her free hand curled over his hip to his ass and gave it the fierce pinch it deserved for distracting her so often.

"Ow," he muttered. "I need that for sitting."

"I'll buy you an inflatable doughnut," she said, kissing along his jaw. "Do you have a condom?"

His pants were hanging off the edge of the bed and he hauled them back, kneeling above her. Chloe stared at him unabashed, rubbing her clit as she waited. He found his wallet and took it out, ripping open the foil. Rolling the condom on, he looked down at her eagerly.

"Ready?"

"Ages ago," she quipped, grinning beautifully.

He kissed her again as they moved around to line up. Chloe brought her legs up to curl around his back and when she put her hand on his shoulder it smelled of her juices. His head turned and Lex licked her fingers hungrily.

Linking her ankles, she closed her eyes to savor his first slide in. Lex eased in gently, aware of her response.

"Wanted you for a long time, too," she said. "Flirted all I could and you didn't get it."

He came to a stop and took a deep breath to collect himself. "You were locked up all summer. I thought you were bored and stir-crazy."

Her mouth twisted into a pout as she pulled on his shoulders. His hips moved only slightly. "I was bored, I wasn't blind," she argued. "No more talking. Fuck me."

The bald billionaire pulled out and her legs closed tighter around him. She wasn't going to waste this now that she had it. Chloe lifted up as he thrust down, the combined force knocking a little scream from her. He did it again, moving his body so he had more leverage. Her limbs wrapped him in a world of Chloe, her face pointed up at him with the blissful expression he could turn into shattering pleasure. Lex's hands pushed under her hips to lift her, his muscles twitching as he held back the orgasm that was coming on fast. She was flushed red, making desperate noises and trying to hold him as close as they could be.

Slowing his pace, Lex moved his hands around her ass and up her legs, bringing them over his shoulders. Running his hands down her legs again, he watched her eyes flutter at each of his fingerings of her wet center. He felt her bucks against his movements become more pronounced and slid his hands back under her ass.

"Harder, Chloe?"

Her eyes cracked open and she nodded, moaning as they started shaking the whole bed. The wooden headboard knocked the wall just as he got to the best, deepest part of her clenching around him. Her nails were in his shoulders, her feet knotted around his neck almost in a choke hold. He didn't care. There was sweat forming on her hips and he used more of his weight to keep her in place.

Chloe caught herself in the middle of a particularly shrill scream and bit her lip instead. She'd known Lex would be amazing but he was so consuming. Fire wasn't this hot or crushing. He fisted his hands under her ass, picking her up off the mattress on another angle and she forgot about trying not to scream. One thrust, then a quick pounding of half withdrawals didn't give her time to drag out her pleasure. It hit like waves of an undertow, stealing her air.

Lex wasn't stopping. He never truthfully intended to stop, but her body starting milking his cock and he couldn't hold out any longer. He jerked instinctively closer to Chloe, her arms holding him as he shook through the release and felt his energy flow from him in an emptying sensation. Dropping her legs to each side, his limbs relaxed without his permission, laying flat on top of her as she hugged him. Their open mouths were side by side as they struggled for air.

He was feeling a lofty sense of freedom contrary to the pinched feeling in one of his lungs. Chloe moved her head and her hair slid by his cheek before her mouth landed on the corner of his.

"See, that was all I wanted. No trouble at all," she whispered.

They laughed together, and he slipped a little inside her. She stroked his chest regretfully. "You should get the condom."

Lex peeled himself off her and pulled out, disposing of the condom. He looked around and realized with some amusement he'd forgotten they were in her father's bed.

"We'd better remember to empty that trash," he noted sedately.

Chloe pulled him back down and Lex settled her against his side. Her leg curled over his knee and he cupped the back of her head, massaging gently.

"Don't go to sleep," he murmured.

She cuddled closer and shook her head. "I'm not. Not going to sleep." She sighed and slumped on his chest anyway.

"Don't go to sleep."

"Stop playing with my hair . . . puts me to sleep."

He stopped, smoothed out the locks, took his hand away and her green eyes opened with annoyance. "I didn't mean for you to stop."

"I didn't want you to fall asleep," he retorted.

Her fingers made sleepy circles around his belly button and brushed over his limp cock. She lifted her face up to look at it, and gave it a pat on the head. "Good job. Take a break, you earned it."

"Chloe, I'm home!"

"Shit," Chloe stammered as she covered her mouth. She untied her body from Lex and rolled off the side of the bed and grabbed her clothes. She grabbed Lex's shirt and threw it at him. Motioning for him to get dressed, she jumped back into her clothes herself.

Whispering from across the room, Lex almost had to laugh, "You know the last time this happened to me was like 8 years ago. Where are you going to hide me?" Lex continued to smirk and laugh at the feeling of a teenager all over again.

Taking Lex by the hand, she pulled him out a small door and pointed. "Shut up," she whispered as motioned him to wait as she went back for his shoes. "Here." She laid his shoes down and looked at him. "Good thing you parked around the driveway. Get going." Chloe glared at him as he finished fishing his belt through the loops then grabbed her.

"Goodnight. Call me about the practices. Say hi to little Ms. Perfect for me." Running his hand through her hair once more, he lowered down and enveloped her lips in his mouth's heat once last time.

"Chloe! Where are you?"

Chloe instinctively pulled away and waved Lex down the back stairs to his car parked in front of the garage. Locking the door behind her, she barely heard him cuss, "Dammit my socks." Chloe looked in front of the bed and picked them up just as Lana entered the room.

"Chloe, I've been calling you. Was wondering if something had happened. I've never seen you leave the laptop wide open and a coffee cup full." Lana walked around the room and helped Chloe make the bed up. Chloe wiped the look of terror from her face and managed to take the side of the bed where the disposed condom still laid in the trash. Reaching over, she picked up the tiny garbage bag and tied it up.

"Lana, I was just tidying up a little. I fell asleep in here earlier and was just startled by you getting home so early." When she looked up, Lana pointed at the obvious men's socks. "I found them under the bed – I was going to put them in the laundry. Now, what is up?"

Lana moped out the door as Chloe closed it behind the two. Chloe knew exactly where this night was heading – several hours of what to do about Clark talk. At least, she thought to herself, this time there was some other image she could concentrate on in the back of her mind.


	3. Time Out

Time Out – Chapter 3

Several days had passed since the fateful meeting and ensuing pleasure that Chloe had never imagined would occur. She felt almost silly walking into school every morning it seemed with a stupid grin on her face. The fact was that she hadn't even seen Lex since he left that weekend evening, but she was hopeful that wouldn't be the last time for her sake.

She knew that he could have any woman he wanted and yet he had arrived at her doorstep to not really play football but to see her. She knew it would never be love – she was in high school, he was a billionaire. The logistics were atrocious for a relationship to work, but the figment of what the weekend brought gave her a glimmer of hope.

"Hey, you seem to be real chipper today. A good meteor freak story to check out?" Chloe startled herself back to reality by Clark's words as he pulled a chair up against the desk she was working at. Looking at her, he gently laid his hand on her arm. "Are you ok? You seem really warm."

Chloe realized that she had built herself up almost to an orgasmic state from just her thoughts. Shaking her head, she opened one of her current files on the computer and started typing, gently pulling her arm discretely out of Clark's clutches. "I'm fine – just a little warm sitting in front of the computer. And about your other question – dad and Lois had a good trip and I had a lazy weekend. I guess I'm just relaxed and able to concentrate." Clark stared at her as she smiled lightly back at him and then continued typing on the computer.

"Ok, Lana wanted me to remind you that if you are doing the story on the first practice – we start this afternoon at 4." He started toward the door and turned. "Did you find someone to play for you?"

Chloe looked up and tilted her head while a devilish grin crept across her face. "You'll see." Clark halfway huffed in amusement and walked out of the Torch office.

Chloe leaned back in her chair and watched as the halls cleared for lunch. She leaned over and pulled the cellphone out of her bag and dialed the last number that had called her.

"Hey. How are you doing? Aren't you in class or something?"

"This coming from the man who told me he skipped most of college and still graduated. Anyway, I was calling about the first practice. It's this afternoon at the football stadium at 4. I know it's short notice."

Lex could hear the hesitation in Chloe's voice. He flipped through the paper on his desk and looked at the calendar on his computer screen. "I'll be a little late – I have a meeting but I'll be there." There was a pause as they both could hear each other typing something on the respective keyboards. "So, about Friday night…what happened after I left?"

"I spent about an hour in an intense question and answer session with Lana where I finally convinced that no one was actually in the house but I was just 'on' enough to want to take care of things in my father's room. And convinced her that your socks were my dad's."

Lex leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Chloe Sullivan, you keep talking of things like that, you might see me before 4." Lex looked up and dropped his feet from his desk as a servant entered. "I have to go. See you this afternoon."

Chloe sat on the 30 yard line with her camera. Looking back up into the stands, she saw Lana and the other girls each cheering on their football player boyfriends. Chloe continued jotting down notes about the various students and teachers that had signed up for coaching positions. She looked at her watch again and noticed that it was already 4:30. She shook her head, afraid he was not going to make it.

"Chloe, you want to sit up in the stands with us?" Lana sat down next to Chloe and waited for her response.

"No, I get better pictures from down here." Chloe looked over Lana's shoulder and smiled as the small black Porsche pulled up in the parking lot behind the stands. Expecting the usual dress pants and pale purple shirt, Chloe's mouth dropped seeing Lex remove his sunglasses and close the car door. Lana turned and saw him walk toward Chloe as they both stood.

"Lex," Lana beat Chloe to the welcome punch. "Came to check out the flag football game? I didn't know Clark had told you – it's great that you're willing to give to the cause."

Lex looked at Lana quizzically. Looking back to Chloe, Lana noticed that Chloe was quietly beaming in Lex's direction and raised an eyebrow at his obvious brush off of her question. "Who do I have to talk to?"

Chloe pointed at the head football coach, "Baines. Tell him you're the on the gold team." Lex started off, but Chloe grabbed him by what she figured was an overly expensive t-shirt. "I think they filled your spot since you weren't here. Just beware." She watched as he nodded and rolled his eyes at the thought of him being replaced.

Lana turned and looked at Chloe. "What was that about?"

Chloe turned the camera on and aimed for the sideline to catch the moment of either anger or contentment forever. While shooting several shots or Lex, the coach, and the other players on the gold team, she answered Lana, "That's who's playing for me."

"You got Lex to play football?" Rolling her eyes in almost a fit of the giggles, she slapped Chloe on the shoulder and started off, "This I got to see."

Chloe removed the camera from her face, rolling out her shoulder at the same time she noticed that Lex was being easily inserted into the lineup, the defensive side of the ball. Chloe realized that it was only flag football, but these were real football players from Smallville, the place that Luthor was most hated.

She peeked back in the stands and noticed as Lana went back to the cheerleader section and obviously was whispering about the newest member of the team. Looking back, she noticed Lex in as a safety which wasn't too bad, as long as he could run.

Strangely as it felt, the senior high schoolers were adept to including Lex so quickly on the team and felt out his abilities. Lex seemed almost in tune with the younger crowd and nodded approvingly back in Chloe's direction as she popped another picture off as the teams lined up to run a couple of plays with their newest member.

Clark glanced looked over the offensive and defensive lines and rolled his eyes at Lex. He knew things would now always be strained for the two of them but felt no harm in Lex involving himself in such a charitable function, but Clark was still interested in who possibly talked the billionaire out of his suits and into a t-shirt and windshorts.

Walking up to the gold team's huddle, Lex looked around at the other members on the team and waited for instructions. Matt, the senior defensive lineman, leaned into Lex, "You've got Mason. He's in the red shorts – he goes in for passes early so you have to cut in front of him or he'll beat you to the cut. How's your 50 yard?"

Lex looked over the eighteen year old who made two of him and answered, "I think I can hold my own." The lineman shook his head, not quite of sure if he believed the man in his twenties, afraid that the billionaire may have to be carted away.

The two teams lined up, and Clark watched intently as he saw the line up that Lex was instructed to take. Lex watched as Clark squinted in what Lex could only guess was irritation that Lex was even there.

Chloe watched the small exchange of bitterness between the old friends and secretly hoped that the two could get their issues out on the field. She felt Clark was being petty about whatever his issue was. She wasn't the most trusting of Lex for the longest time and maybe things were a bit clouded at the moment because of the weekend events, but she wanted both of them at least as friends.

Lex watched Clark pop up over the offensive line as he called the play to start and eyed Mason. Running backwards for a few yards, he cut in front of Mason a good ten yards down the field. Clark knew Mason's tendencies and tried to take a chance. He obviously had never been able to injure his traitor of a friend, maybe Mason would have a better shot.

Lex watched Clark as he let go off the ball. Turning his body, he lost a couple of paces off the wide receiver, who was well chosen for his speed. Picking up his speed, Lex turned his body just as the ball came down and fell into his arms. Wrapping his arms around the ball, he quickly applauded himself as he saw the gold team rally to cover the other red jerseys that were descending upon him.

As he took off, he felt a hard, dull stab in the shoulder blades and fell to the ground, watching the ball pop out before getting a face full of turf. Quickly looking up, he grabbed the top of Mason's shoe and watched the wide receiver join him on the turf, letting the ball fly out of bounds.

Looking at the senior, he rolled his eyes while picking grass out of his mouth. "I was under the impression that the words flag football meant no tackle." Lex pushed himself up and brushed off his t-shirt, now with a nice rip in the shoulder seam.

Mason took advantage of a team member and hopped up off the field, still staring at Lex. "If you can't take the heat little man…" Mason started off with a couple of offensive lineman. Turning, he looked at Lex, "Anyway, we've all been waiting to beat the crap outta you – watch yourself rich boy." The lineman nodded and high-fived each other as they walked away.

Chloe walked over as Lex rotated his shoulder. She saw him cringe in slight plain. "Look, you don't have to do this. Maybe you would be better off just donating the money and that's it."

"And let the testosterone without brains beat me. I'm a little bit smarter than that. I just have to read his actions better and he showed all his hand, as well as everyone else's with his little statement." Lex put his hand on Chloe's upper back and led her back over to the sidelines and reached in his pocket. "But it would be nice if you would hold my keys; the one that speared me on the last play came real close to ending my manhood." Chloe giggled lightly and shoved the keys into her pocket.

Lex joined the huddle and listened to Matt give some final instructions. Putting his arm carefully around Lex's shoulder, he whispered, "Look for the option run – he's coming by you – I overheard it. By the way, don't listen to Mason – He has to be mad at you. Your father torched his dad's back 40 for the expansion of that stupid plant you run."

Lex nodded in understanding that his father had yet been the reason for his getting whipped by a teenager. Lining up behind the line, he glanced over at Mason and then at Clark. Clark gave him a slight smirk and called the play. Lex watched as Mason cut across slowly through two stronger defensive lineman and had an open field to take on the one that was out for him. Now to see what Clark Kent was really made of.

Clark tossed the ball to Kyle and cut around the corner of the defense as Kyle shuttle passed the ball back at the line. Lex watched as Clark changed his route in response to the defense and waited. A hole opened up as Clark pushed the last lineman out of the way, almost effortlessly from what Lex saw. Locking glances with the overly athletically talented young man, Lex ducked Clark's lead protection and pulled on the tail end of the small plastic flag and heard a rip before falling on the ground again.

Clark looked back at Lex as John, a lineman helped Lex up. Lex walked over to Clark. "It was a smart play, but your lineman isn't fast enough for your draw – you should have the tight end block for you." Lex couldn't think of anything else to break the ice. Handing the flag back to Clark he pressed his lips together and started back over to the sideline for the timeout.

"Lex…" Clark ran up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Why this? Like I told you once before, playing the charity card isn't going to score any points with me now."

Lex stopped dead in his tracks. "As much as you may think this is out of some twisted way for me to still get your approval, this is not…about…you. I'm here for the cause – and I happened to not want to get my ass kicked by high school kids by not practicing with you first. Know your enemy – know what I mean?"

Clark stared at the man who he used to trust and wondered what he really had planned. Lex never did anything without an ulterior motive. "Yep, I know what you mean." Clark walked away and met his team in the huddle that was now forming.

Matt and Trey walked up to either side of Lex. "You and Clark have some kind of grudge. He seems to really have the Red team coming after you – they're not playing football – they want to kill you."

"It's a long story." The three moved back into place as Lex glanced a look back at Chloe.

Waving and smiling, he nodded and slightly smiled back. There's your ulterior motive Clark, he thought to himself.

Chloe watched and grimaced through another twenty minutes of the practice and hoped that Lex wouldn't be to beaten up to go to work the next day. The red team was no doubt giving him a beating on purpose. She liked Clark but he was petty, hanging onto things for no reason. But Lex was holding his own, keeping the wide receivers well wrapped up and cutting off some of Clark's usually easy passing routes. There's something to be said for experience and brains over brawn now and then.

Holding the camera up for a couple of last shots before the end of practice, she followed the player and snapped two pictures off before seeing nothing but bright green before feeling the lens slam into her cheekbone.

"Shit!" Hearing a loud expletive, Lex turned around from across the field and saw one of the wide receivers laying on top of Chloe's small frame and then watched as Drew, the strong safety trip and catch Chloe in the side before falling into the grass on the sideline. Looking across the field, he watched as Clark and Lana both bulleted across to help as other players pried the other player off her.

Running to his car, he immediately dialed 911 as he ran back over to see Lana and Clark plead with her to wake up. Looking over the two, he saw the mark of the camera already bruising her cheek. "Chloe?" Lex continued talking to the 911 operator as Clark called her name repeatedly. Chloe opened her eyes and tried to gasp, making motions of choking.

TBC (feedback please)


	4. Personal Foul

_A/N - Thanks for the reviews here and on N-S. Keep it up!_

Personal Foul – Chapter 4

"Don't move her." Lex leaned over and pulled Clark and motioned for everyone to back up. Clark and Lana held her hands as she continued to gasp and lose some color in her face.

Lex had been there, and he knew nothing could be done. Remembering his childhood asthma attacks, he knew the tightening in her chest was scaring her, but CPR could kill her. Closing the phone, he pushed past Lana and brushed Chloe's hair out of her face completely. "You need to breathe as normal as possible – the excitement is going to make it hurt more."

Chloe watched and listened to Lex intently. She never understood quite the reason asthmatics could possibly turn blue in a matter of seconds but could picture herself looking about like a smurf. Biting her lip, she tried to slow her breathing by breathing through her nose as tears slipped out of the sides of her eyes. "I …," she squeeked.

"Don't talk, concentrate on breathing." Lex looked up as Clark moved out of the way for the one training staff member of the high school that stuck around for the practice.

"Chloe, you need to do as Mr. Luthor says. Count even tempo breaths until the ambulance gets here." Standing back up, he motioned for Clark to follow him. Watching Clark walk away, Lex tried to pull his hand from Chloe's but she squeezed it harder. Lana had moved around to hold her other hand and immediately noticed the squeeze to Lex as his eyes met Chloe's. Lex looked up and rolled his eyes at Lana's reaction.

Clark looked seriously at the trainer and then back at Chloe, "Clark, there's a million things that could be causing her lack of air." Staring at Chloe, he stared at her chest and then saw Lex give him an annoyed look. He didn't care at the point; Chloe was in bad shape from what Clark could 'see.' "Finally." The trainer ran out to the ambulance and talked to the EMT's as they ran out to Chloe.

The crowd around her had thinned and moved back to give them room. Lex leaned over and rubbed the back of his hand down Chloe's face and whispered, "I'll see you at the hospital – they're going to take care of you." Slipping his hand out of hers, he started toward his vehicle. Halfway there, he heard his name from behind him.

"She had me pull these out of her pocket. They said to let you know that Dr. Swanson is already enroute and will be there when we arrive." The EMT turned and ran back to tend to Chloe to get her transported. Opening the car door, he saw Lana and Clark following her and dripping encouraging words from their tongues before the back of the ambulance closed. Lex sat a single moment before starting the car wishing he could have been there. It was dangerous as it had been; he already gave away enough for people to suspect something. He wasn't about to give away their little affair while she was injured. That moment needed to be special.

Gabe Sullivan paced in the hallway of the Smallville Medical Center's emergency entrance. The call from Lana sent him nearly down a flight of stairs when he tripped at her words. Chloe had been in trouble before, physically and in connection to a story, but this was a football game. He watched the automatic double doors fly open and saw Lex in shorts and t-shirt walk briskly through next to a fast moving gurney. His daughter was a light shade of purple in the face as she kept gasping for air regardless of Lex's directions to calm down. He was holding her hand. Gabe filed the little tidbit away and moved swiftly to her other side.

"Dad," she barely got out before trying to cough and wrenching to her left side.

"Honey, just breath. You're going to ok. They said that Mr. Luthor has called in the best thoracic surgeon and you'll be good as new in no time." She nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. She watched as both her father and Lex disappeared behind her as the EMT's spoke to the emergency nurses on call and wheeled her into a trauma room.

"She's going to be ok?" Gabe looked at Lex, his former boss for answers. He was still nervous that his little girl was wheeled in with the man.

"Dr. Swanson is the very best. She'll be fine." Lex stuck his hands in the pockets of his shorts and stood with his old employee almost nervously.

"What happened?" Gabe turned to look at Lex and finished his statement, "I know she got hurt but how are you tied up in this? No offense, but I am really tired of her being hurt and it always involves you somehow, but this time was different."

Lex knew what Gabe Sullivan was fishing for, and he wasn't quite ready to give it to him, just the scaled down version. "Chloe talked about the charity football game and I volunteered. She was out taking pictures of the practice and she was too close to the action. I happened to take care of getting a doctor for her and the luxury of a fast car kept me near the ambulance." Gabe looked at him skeptically and then turned to hug Lana, who just walked in with Clark.

"She in with the doctors right now. Hopefully we'll hear something soon." Clark looked at Lex and Gabe and knew they had walked into a tense discussion.

"We should find somewhere to sit down," Lana said as she took Clark's hand and wandered down the hall to a quieter waiting area. Leaning over to Clark's shoulder, she whispered, "Did you get a strange feeling we walked in on something?" Looking up at Clark, he nodded as they turned the corner.

"Mr. Sullivan?" The doctor motioned him forward to talk. Looking at Lex, Gabe left the man standing alone at the front desk and walked off with the doctor. Looking through the window at Chloe, the medical staff had stabilized her breathing and her color was coming back. "She's stabilizing and reacting well to the pain killers. However, she has sharp pain in her left side. We're taking her down for a scan but I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a ruptured spleen."

Gabe took a step back. Lex watched the man's actions. A step back was never a good sign. Lex gulped silently and closed his eyes. Gabe barely whispered, "Can you…I mean how bad is that?"

"We'll get some pictures, but if she is still able to breathe on her own this long, I don't think it'll be that bad. There are no broken bones, ribs, and her lung seems intact." The doctor moved Gabe out of the way seeing the crew bring Chloe out in the hallway.

Leaning over her, he smiled, "They are going to run some tests and we'll see you in a little while." Gabe squeezed her hand as she shook her head lightly and whispered something. The nurse continued to help steady her breathing as they all entered the elevator. Gabe watched the doors close and followed the nurse as the doctor instructed.

"Sir, she's going to be assigned to the ICU unit for the night. I need you to sign off on this." Gabe took the pen and signed his name for her treatment. "Are there any others you want to list as authorized visitors?" Turning back to Lex, who lifted his head and took a deep breath. "Clark Kent…Lana Lang." He stopped and paused, rubbing his head and squinting stressfully like some else he knew. "Lex Luthor."

The nurse finished writing up the paperwork and walked away after giving him instructions on the way to her room and how many people were permitted. He walked back over to the main front desk area and looked at Lex straight faced almost as if anger trembled through his veins.

"She ruptured her spleen; they're running tests and admitting her to ICU for the night." Gabe kept his vicious angry look as he passed Lex. Turning around to face the man's back, Gabe's features softened. "She'll be in 411. She asked to see you."

Lex turned and looked at Gabe, nodding almost in confusion. "You had every right to not let me see her."

"You would have anyway by bribery or other means. It really took a lot of inner strength to say your name." Gabe walked back up to Lex and locked his gaze with his former employer. "If you hurt her…" He paused seeing Lex's bewilderment that Gabe was threatening him.

"Mr. Luthor, Lex…it took my daughter years to get over the crush on Clark – I never talked to her about it; she was too proud to involve her father in her childish crushes. It was like a weight lifted from the house when she and Lana finally understood where they stood as far as Clark was concerned." Gabe took a deep breath. "It's little harder to ignore a young woman's passion for someone that is no good for her. I watched her when you were around that summer. I just want you to understand what you are getting into. She's not one of your transgressions."

Lex tried to speak in his defense but the man obviously knew his daughter's feelings from just her actions. He had never given Gabe that much credit, but his warning was one to heed. Lex was the last one who wanted to hurt Chloe.

His head swimmed. The night they had been together, the one night, she had told him in no uncertain terms that she had wanted him since the first time they met. But that didn't necessarily mean anything. Passion – that was Gabe's word, and that was all that night was. He followed Chloe's father around the corner to the same waiting room as Lana and Clark were in. Looking around the corner, he saw Lana, Clark, and Gabe all staring at him. _What have I got myself into?_

Chloe sat more or less comfortably in her quiet ICU room as a couple of nurses finished setting her room up. "We'll be back in a few hours. Press the button if you start to feel uncomfortable."

She nodded and looked over at the clock. It was now 10 PM. Her breathing had improved during the hours of being poked and prodded. A couple of hours earlier, the doctor explained that he had talked to her father about her treatment. She listened as the doctor went into detail what had happened. She would have a black eye for awhile from the force of the camera hitting her, but he said she should be grateful her cheekbone wasn't fractured. He went on explaining that her spleen had ruptured from the traumatic hit and subsequent kick in the left side. The transfusions would last a couple of days but afterward just the bruising of her rib would be her main source of pain. He added that no broken ribs kept from collapsing her lung.

Thinking back through the doctor's explanation and encouraging words, she was surprised that Lex would even associate himself with someone that was so positive. On the other hand, she was grateful that he was realistic in his thoughts. The one line – you'll be in some pain for at least a month – stuck in her mind. Then she thought of Lex. _Celibacy doesn't suit him_, she thought as she wondered if it was over before it began.

"Knock knock." Chloe looked up and saw her father leaning around the doorway. "I didn't want to disturb you too much, but I had to check on you. They said they just got you in here and explained everything about your treatment. How are you feeling?"

Grabbing a pencil and paper balanced on her legs, she wrote,"I feel like I was hit by a car. Football players hurt. LOL."

Gabe sat down in the chair next to her and slightly squeezed her upper arm. "Lana is here. I didn't know who you would want to see; I thought Clark would stress you out. Lois is a little hysterical, so I told her to stay at the house. You don't need that stress. And …"

Chloe watched as her father couldn't quite form the words, so she wrote them. "Lex?" He looked at the pad and nodded her head. Grabbing his hand quickly, she signaled him to wait. Writing again, "Not now – I'm tired. Tell them to go home and I'll see everyone tomorrow."

Ripping the sheet off, she signaled to her dad to wait again. She wrote another note and folded it up and wrote Lex's name on the outside. Handing the note to her dad, she smiled and pressed the button on her pain killer drip for a last dose before closing her eyes.

Gabe walked out into the waiting room and showed the other three the note from Chloe. "She's having a hard time speaking. They are continuing the transfusions for the next 12 to 18 hours. They make her tired. I'm staying out here but she wants everyone else to go home and rest."

Lana hugged him and told him to call if he needed anything. Following her out the waiting room, Clark looked back one more time at Lex. Gabe looked at Lex and handed him the other piece of paper. "I didn't read it. Go home; I promise I'll call you."

Lex took a deep breath and shoved the note in his pocket. The handwriting was shaky, but he could make out, "read later," on it.

"Thank you Mr. Sullivan." He shook hands with the man and walked out of the waiting room leaving the man to pull for his daughter alone, as she requested.

Getting in his car, Lex unfolded the note, taking a deep breath. Maybe her father had gotten to her first and convinced her that she was screwing up her life with him. He sat with baited breath starting to read the note.

_My dad knows about you and me – I don't know how but he does. Sorry about all this – it kind of sucks. The doctor told me no 'relations' for at least a month. I understand if you can't wait, it's not like we're dating or falling for each other or something. There's only so much time that I would be interesting anyway. It happens. I'll shut up now._

Lex reread the note and leaned back in the car seat. Licking his bottom lip in frustration, he started the car and left the hospital.

Lex walked out of his bedroom newly showered and changed. He shoved the note into his pocket after leaving it out while in the bathroom. He couldn't believe what she had written. She was caught between what Gabe saw in his daughter's eyes and her obvious attempt to cover up her real feelings. The problem now laid with him.

Gabe knew her almost better than she knew herself. Lex paced realizing that the sprite high school senior who he had had the most incredible sex with a few days ago was in much more over her head than he had first thought. She had wanted him since the first time they met. Lex could almost feel the wave of emotion hit him directly in the chest. Falling for each other, he read again. _No, fallen_, he thought.

Sitting down at his desk, he booted up the computer and pulled up the Torch's webpage. Clicking the editor page, a picture of the perky blond filled screen next to her biography. He read the screen, the list of her favorites; presumably all food mentions had the word coffee,chocalte, or mocha in them. Moving past that, Lex looked more specifically for something that she would be surprised that she would get.

Picking up the phone, he dialed. Giving the directions to the woman on the other end of the line, he hung up and stared at the picture on the screen. Glancing over at the pile of ignored work for the day, he shut the computer and went to bed.

"Good morning sir. You have a phone call from Gabe Sullivan." Lex shook his head to clear his still sleepy head as his servant handed him the phone.

"Luthor."

"Mr. Luthor, she's awake and was hoping you would be available. I told her not to disturb you at the absurd hour, but she said you would be awake anyway."

Lex halfway laughed, thinking that Chloe knew him better than his past two wives. "Tell her I'll be there in the hour." He paused and heard Gabe get unsettled at the silence. "Thank you."

Gabe hung up the phone and realized that the thank you was completely soft and sincere.

Lex arrived at the hospital and waited outside of her room as the nurses explained that her transfusion was being updated and it would be a few minutes. A couple nurses blushed as Lex finally walked into the small room.

Chloe smiled softly, still reeling from the transfusion change. The tubes were uncomfortable and she wasn't very happy about Lex seeing her in that way. She was tired and felt dopey after the last few hits of pain killers she had taken. On the other hand, he was a sight she had wanted to see since they carted her away. He was dressed more casual than normal with a simple pair of black slacks and hunter green sweater, carrying several things under his arm.

"Nice sweater, but not exactly your wardrobe or color." She grinned and rolled her eyes playfully.

Pulling the chair over to her bed, he laid the items down on the table. "I figured that hospitals are cold and the green might cheer you up. I got you something too." He pulled the larger box out and gently laid it in her lap.

Opening the box, Lex helped pull the hunter green crocheted blanket out of the box. "Lex, you didn't have to go buying me gifts."

"I didn't. The housekeeper's mother makes them for the little county flea markets. I asked for one for you since the hospital blankets are substandard, and she asked your favorite color." Lex removed the box and the other blanket and delicately laid the new blanket on her. "How's the pain?"

"Not as bad as yesterday but then again I haven't tried to move yet. I have a feeling that soon as I do, I'm going to be screaming in agony." She tried to giggle and caught herself.

Lex took her hand seeing the sudden wince of pain roll over her face. "Calm down there Sullivan. You didn't break any ribs- let's keep it that way." Lex sat down in the chair without letting go of her hand. "Besides, I'll be here for you."

Chloe stopped struggling in pain and stared at Lex. He just said he'd be there for her. "Lex, I don't need a babysitter." Chloe tried to smile but was still rotating her shoulders uncomfortably. Lex watched and moved his fingers up her arm.

"Can I help?"

"Actually, get behind the bed and grab the top sheet at both ends." She waited until she felt his hands grip the sheet. "Count to three and then carefully pull up. My chest feels all crunched up."

Lex counted and watched as Chloe slightly pushed off with her heels and gasped in pain as her body moved up the mattress. Hurrying around the bed, he grabbed her hand. "I'm ok – it's the only way to do it – it just hurts like hell though. Thank you."

Looking at him, Chloe could tell he wasn't just being friendly. He had read her note, deciphered it, ingested it, and blended it with whatever her dad had told him. She had left too many clues, and now she had to dig herself out of her feelings for him.

He stared at her with such sad brooding eyes it made her hurt even more, just in a different place. She normally wasn't at the end of these conversations. She was Chloe Sullivan – she was the reporter known for the crush on Clark Kent and nothing more. She had a lapse of judgment and that's was it.

"Chloe," Lex spoke softly as her eyes wandered away from him and stared at the wall. "We need to talk."

Turning back to him, she smiled. "Lex, look about yesterday and the note. I was on a ton of medication and was a little looped out of my mind. You've been that way before. I said a lot of things and …" She paused and looked in his eyes. "Last weekend, it was a moment, and it's passed. I just really need a friend right now. That's it."

Lex looked down at the bed and rubbed his hand down her arm and strained a smile. "Of course." He sat back and watched as she fidgeted for the remote. Removing his hand from hers, he picked up her other gift and laid it in her lap. "TV is overrated. Besides, I hear you are more for the print world." She looked up and smiled as he pulled the Sports section out of the Daily Planet and sat back in the chair.

_Then this is the way it's going to be,_ he told himself.

TBC


	5. 2nd Down  Part 1

2nd Down – Chapter 5 (Part 1)

Lex flipped through the latest information from his source at the hospital. Chloe had been moved to a private room and her test results were coming back in a positive direction. The informant let him know that she had no loss of visitors, including the entire football team congratulating her for living through 'Mac Truck's latest flattening.

The informant, conveniently her graveyard nurse, also relayed information not medically related. Lex looked in the plastic bag that would not normally adorn his desk. Pulling out each sheet of paper that she had trashed, evidently trying to write her ordeal up for the Torch, he unfolded each carefully. Pages upon pages were scrapped story starters and other miscellaneous homework assignments gone wrong. He silently laughed to himself at the amount of trees she must have killed for that perfect sentence.

He opened up another sheet and wrinkled up his lip and forehead concentrating on what was obviously a math concept she had missed, really missed, during her hospital visit. Taking his pen, he reworked the problem easily and filed the crumpled sheet away, remembering to ask her if she needed any tutoring assistance. He could play the good friend card as long as she wanted to. Patience wasn't one of his virtues, but he was willing to wait her out – he had waited for a year, she'd waited longer.

Pulling the last piece of paper, he dropped the ugly grocery bag in the garbage and unfolded the final piece. Sitting back in the chair, he stared at the sheet of paper.

_Pros – Intelligent Conversation_

_Good Looking_

_Refined_

_Successful (although a little crooked)_

_Cons – Obsessive_

_Workaholic_

_Not personal; not able to let people in_

_Questionable ability to be happy_

_Not able to have a stable relationship (w/ either sex, platonic or otherwise)_

Lex read the sheet again, not even really concerned with the lines that had been scratched through but still visible through the light. _Smart, sensible Chloe has made up her mind that because of my obsessive, brooding nature that I'm not worth it. People can change. God knows I need the push to change. Thank you Ms. Sullivan – you just told me what I have to do to prove myself. _

Lex put all the crumpled sheets in a binder and carried them up to the library. Laying them on the chess table, he pulled out the largest book he could find and put it on top of the folder. _Ok, so my need for neatness is an obsession I can't part with, but I'll work on the others._

_Yesterday the odds were stacked in favor of my expectations_

_Flying above the rest, never falling from the nest_

_Tuesday came and went and now I'm in a little situation_

_Maybe it's for the best, I can live alone I guess_

_Maybe I can stand alone; maybe I'm strong as stone_

_Even though the bird has flown; maybe he'll fly on home_

Chloe sat and watched the mentally draining and heart wrenching PBS performance and incessantly pressed the remote to no avail. "Clark, my hero. Reach up there and please turn that to anything else or off maybe."

Clark walked across the room halfway snickering at the sad bluegrass music she got the TV stuck on and turned the television off. "I've been sitting through that for half an hour hoping not to have to ring a nurse to change the channel. So, what's up?"

Moving the chair up to the edge of the bed, he smiled and leaned back. I heard some good news from your dad, who's outside. You get to go home this afternoon. You sill have to be out of school for a couple more days, but your bed will be better than this place."

"Yeah, I was hoping that when I went flying out of Lex's window that would be my longest hospital stay. What a surprise to find out that I, the reporter, end up in the hospital for a sports injury." Chloe halfway giggled and braced her forearm against her left side and slowed her breathing. "They said I'll be feeling it for about a month more."

Clark and Chloe both looked up as Gabe walked through the door with anticipation. Reaching over and kissing her forehead, Gabe smiled and squeezed her hand. "How about getting home in time to make dinner?"

"Dad, that's not funny."

"I'm kidding pumpkin. Actually Lana has procured something that did not involve her burning our kitchen down. If I remember, she called it Café Martha. The orderly said he would be here in about thirty minutes to get us going." Gabe smiled and moved about the room packing up Chloe's things as Clark read through her finally finished story on her accident and the subsequent reason for the school board moving all press off the immediate sideline.

Chloe leaned back and sighed. Looking Clark and then here dad, she wished there was one other man in the room. She leaned back and read a magazine, more to hide her disappointment than anything. _Impersonal workaholics don't make for get well nurses. _

The next morning Chloe carefully drug herself out of bed and walked downstairs. Staying home alone while everyone else was busy with work or school had its advantages. Noticing the coffeepot still had some left in it, she reached for a mug on the first shelf. Grabbing the mug, she wrenched over to her left side in pain and watched the cup go crashing to the ground.

"Perfect. Thanks dad – I'll just drink it straight out of the pot." She leaned over to pick up several pieces of the cup and sighed at the pain every little motion caused her. "I can't do this for a freaking month, not that I'll tell dad or Lana. I'd never get rid of them."

"Need some help?"

Chloe popped her head up as took as deep a breath as her side would let her. "How did you get in here?" She tried to regulate her breathing which was getting heavier with every step he took towards her.

"Door was unlocked. I knocked and then heard something hit the floor. I thought I could help." Lex took her by the arm and gently helped her off the floor. "Go sit down and I'll get you some. What cabinet?"

Leaning against the counter, Chloe pointed above her head. _He's in my house – again._ She watched as he pulled a large mug out of the cabinet and signaled to her to go in the living room. The man had power – a nod of his head and he could order anyone around. Chloe heeded the obvious order and sat gingerly on the edge of the couch. She watched Lex in the kitchen like he had memorized the place. He moved about and cleaned up the broken cup, careful to get all the small shards. He stood in front of her cup as he reached for more than the coffee. Halfway concerned for what he was trying, she sat nervously and briefly smiled back at him when he grinned her.

Lex could feel her intense gaze while moving about the kitchen. Trying to not look like a fool, he cleaned up the broken cup and though carefully about her drink. Glancing back at her, he smiled softly. _Just friends – if you watch me any more intently I'll have places burned into parts of my body that I plan on using with you again. _Lex picked up the two cups of coffee and walked into the living room.

"I figured you would have plenty other things to do instead of take care of me. Come to think of it, I haven't seen you since the day in the hospital." Chloe twitched slightly as Lex brushed her left side a little too close. Moving forward, she watched as he set the pillows up in a smooth incline.

"Sit back and put your feet up." He handed her the coffee and waited for her expression. Chloe held the coffee up and blew on it as Lex tried not to make eye contact. Seeing her lips move in such a way made his body tingle, wishing she was instead blowing that lightly in his ear.

Chloe caught Lex's face and slightly smirked at the obvious display of interest. Sipping the coffee, she lowered the cup and stared at the man. Dressed in the most expensive silk business black pinstripe suit she had ever seen, she marveled that he first stopped to see her after virtually forgetting she existed since her trip to the ICU and second the incredible cup of coffee that was not near anything the Talon could ever serve.

"How did you? I mean, how could you let Lana serve what she does in your coffeehouse if you can do this? What is it?" Chloe was absolutely taken aback. Stunned. Lex could make a latte to die for. What else is possible?

Lex took his coat off and carefully draped it over the dining room table. Sitting back down on the other end of the couch, he laughed. "One question at the time. The coffee – is hot apple. The apple juice from the refrigerator, some brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was very simple and it's a good morning coffee. Sometimes the cold, foamy drinks are a little over the top but black is too strong this late in the morning. About the coffeehouse, if the place turns a profit, I stay out of it. Believe me, if there is a glimpse of red coming through the profit sheets, I will sell to Starbucks for a profit and be done with it."

Leaning back into the couch, he sipped the same creation that his mother had let him make in the summers. At ten she didn't like the idea that Lionel wanted him up at all hours, but she found it sustained her son. To ease the bitter taste, she had naturally sweetened the flavor as much as possible. He watched as Chloe continued to sip her cup in delight, hoping that his little favor to her would be rewarded in some fashion.

"So, what about work?"

"I have a meeting at the plant in a little while, but I thought you might want some company. How are you for this afternoon? I have some time and I can bring the work with me if you need any help."_ Take the invitation Chloe._

Chloe leaned forward to put her now empty on the table just to have Lex take it from her hands. Slightly rubbing her fingers as he removed the cup, Chloe smiled as her head dipped as she quietly responded, "Thank you." Sitting back in the pillows, she watched as he passed her into the kitchen.

Closing her eyes, she could still smell the lingering cologne in the air from when he passed. She remembered that smell from just the week before, the last four years, and tried to get a grip. _He's fine with the friend thing – don't open Pandora's Box again._ She breathed heavier and the pain in her side reminded her why she couldn't feel anything for him at the moment anyway.

Picking up his coat, he slipped easily into it and sat down on the edge of the couch. "I have to get going. You need something this afternoon; your dad has a late meeting with his department. Help with school?"

Chloe giggled in amusement – _did he just ask to help me with homework? _"Actually, depending on the time, I could probably use some lunch or early dinner. And my math grade may require your help, if you really don't mind."

Leaning over her, he brushed her out of her face and smiled. "I'll see what I can do about getting back here as soon as I can." Rubbing his hand down her shoulder, he smiled and walked out the door.

Chloe sat on the couch mesmerized. He had just touched her twice in the span of a minute. Her skin was on fire in both places, and she was having trouble breathing. And he was coming back in a few hours. _I take back the thought about get well nurses. He might just be too good. Don't fall – don't fall – oh God. _Chloe laid back in the arranged pillows stunned, biting her lip in frustration.


	6. 2nd Down  part 2

_A/N - Thanks for the great feedback! Keep it coming and I'll keep writing._

2nd Down – Part 2

The day passed slowly for Chloe Sullivan. She sat and wondered what possessed her to think that Lex would actually come back to see her in the evening. She milled about the house, avoiding homework and instead concentrated on the love of keeping the Torch running while she was gone. She read and answered emails, anything she could find to keep her mind off the obvious.

Soon after Lex had left in the morning, she fell back to asleep. Dreaming of Lex and her from what was now a week ago, she still couldn't get the images out of her mind. She was flushed, sweaty, and wet even from just the simple dream.

He had been gentle this time. Rubbing his hands gently over her broken body, he made her body tingle. His mouth tasted so incredible on hers she was afraid to let his lips leave hers but was overcome with the sense of pleasure to feel them on her neck.

She was halfway surprised at his gentle nature, knowing that he probably had no women that he was normally that careful with. But he was careful. He stayed clear of her bandages and bruises, only touching her fire hot skin in places that made her body quiver. He said he wasn't interested in fucking her - that was not the right moment. He wanted to caress, touch her skin with his lips, fingers. Closing her eyes, her body writhed at each touch as she became wetter from just the small touches that he placed on her.

"Calm down," he would keep saying as he touched her. She knew he was just trying to help her relax her pain away, but the feeling pulsed through her body and created new pains. How she wanted him inside her for once more, but he refused.

She woke up flushed, sweaty, and unsatisfied. Sitting on her couch, the last sentence out of her dreamy Lex broke her. Smiling that smirk that made her body ache, he told her he would always look after her, be her friend. Holding her hand over her mouth, she felt the tears fall as she realized that as much as she pushed him away, she just wanted to draw him closer.

* * *

Lex sat behind the small desk in the upper offices of the plant that he had to oversee for the day. His father was coming; he had to be on top of his game. He knew where his mind had to be, but he couldn't stay at work for more than a few moments. Chloe.

He went over his movements in his mind, wondering if he had done anything that would have either offended her or convinced her that he was worth it. He searched the Internet for ideas to make her feel better and hopefully speed her recovery. He glanced at the stack of papers that adorned the small desk. Quickly taking out his pen, he signed all of the requisition forms without even reading them, knowing that it would somehow cost him in the end. But he didn't care.

"Lex. Have somewhere else you need to be today?"

Lex looked up at the older man that smirked at catching his son trying to skim on his business duties. "Hello dad. Actually I have."

Walking around the edge of the desk, Lionel sat down on the corner and looked over his son's quick run through contracts and forms. "I hope that Miss Sullivan's accident hasn't hindered her in too many ways. I would hate to see that little paper of hers to fall through the cracks."

Lex stopped suddenly and stared at his father. Feeling an urgency to protect her, he wanted to strangle his father – he hadn't mentioned her at all to him. He felt a heaviness in his chest like the year before when he and Chloe were plotting against him. But things were different now. Lionel left prison after his short sentence, bought by an insane amount of money. Since his exit from the prison walls, though, Lex was wary of his father. He was strangely normal, still demeaning to Lex but returned to work and left well alone. Lex was afraid that it would change; he waited for the hammer to fall.

"Dad," Lex got up and picked up his coat off the chair. "How did you? Don't …"

"I won't do anything of the sort. Go on – play house with Miss Sullivan. And it wasn't hard. A cashier's check to the charity with her name on the note section or the beautiful article that she wrote for the Smallville Ledger about her accident. I was a nice piece of journalism."

Lex stared at his father and sighed deeply before walking out of the office. Rubbing his forehead as he got in the elevator, he hoped that would be the last intrusion of his father on his personal life. He and Chloe didn't need any more complications to getting their relationship off the ground. Leaning against the wall of the elevator he realized his thoughts. He and Chloe. Relationship.

He then remembered what was in three weeks. Graduation. He had to work fast – he knew that she was leaving for a summer journalism program right afterwards. Chloe was it – he had to have her and then he would want for nothing else.

* * *

"Now what?" Chloe cursed under her breath forcing herself to take and breath. The phone rang off the hook the entire lunch hour from friends at school. The Kents had come by to visit and drop off another pie_. I'm going to have to go back for a checkup and find that I have diabetes. _

"Come in," she mustered up. She couldn't make it off the couch after sinking so low in the cushions. Peering over the couch, she could just make out the distinct bald head and smiled.

"Hey, did I wake you?" Lex was carrying something. Chloe suddenly caught a whiff of the couple of bags and her smile deepened. Walking through the living room, he deposited the bags on the counter and removed his coat in the same fashion as the morning. Sitting on the edge of the couch, he rubbed his hand up and down her pajama clad leg.

"No, actually I was watching something incredibly boring on TV and hoped that food would miraculously appear. And here you are."

Lex smirked. "I've been called a lot of things but food is a new one." Chloe realized how she had worded the strange phrase and bit her lip. "I'm kidding. Come on, get off the couch and let's get some food in you."

Chloe watched as Lex pulled pillows off the recliner and placed them in the hard dining room chair. Taking her hands, he let her pull herself up to a sitting position and then readjusted to help her stand. Walking a little less hunched over than in the morning, Chloe sat carefully in the chair. "I need my meds. They're lying on the paper towel over there."

Lex grabbed the small handful of pills and laid them next to her and popped the top off her coffee. "It's decaffeinated where your meds won't have any interference. We want you back to work as soon as possible."

"Thank you." Chloe suddenly felt bad about being babied. "Look, you really don't have to be here. Thank you for dinner and all but I really don't need a sitter."

Lex sat down in the chair beside hers. Taking her hand in his, he smiled. "I'm not your sitter. I care about you, and I want you to get better." Running his other hand down her cheek, he could feel her face warm to his touch. It was a good sign.

Chloe looked up at him; she couldn't help feeling embarrassed. She was usually stronger than this. Clark had been there and helped dozens of times; why couldn't she let Lex do the same. _Oh yeah, you're in love with Lex and don't need to be vulnerable or he'll figure it out. "_Thank you. I know it's really hard for me to accept that I'm not able to take care of myself. And you have a million places you could be."

Dipping his head down where he could meet her eyes, he touched her face again. Her skin was so perfectly soft, it was hard not to. "I only want to be here." Watching her accept his statement, she looked over at the bags of food and took as big a breath as she could.

Lex laid the items out on the table and started opening the containers. "Let's see what Melba cooked up today. She thought it was odd I had her deliver it to work." Opening the first container, he was pleased at the request of simple dishes. Chloe's stomach couldn't muster his normal fare with all the medication. "Grilled Rosemary Chicken. Steamed Vegetables." Looking over at Chloe, he could see her look. "You need to eat balanced while you're getting well, so put that look away. Fresh rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, and chocolate mousse for dessert."

Chloe reached for the mousse as Lex grabbed the container. "Come on. I promise I'll eat the other later."

Putting the mousse in the refrigerator, he smirked. "You can have it after dinner. Besides, Melba's chicken has won awards. She would be insulted if you didn't eat her main dish first." Lex moved about the kitchen like in the morning as if he knew his way around. Serving her the main dishes, he sat down and ate as he watched her.

Chloe sat back in the chair and adjusted after eating the best meal of her life. She wondered if she would ever get to eat like that on a regular basis. She may actually start eating real food instead of just junk if that is what it's supposed to taste like.

She couldn't lose the smile on her face, watching Lex clean up her kitchen as if he had never brought anything to her at all. When she casually mentioned her father, Lex stopped and made a plate to leave in the frig for him later. Chloe was in shock.

Sitting down next to her again, Lex looked at her as she yawned. "Tired?"

"I really am. It doesn't seem like I did a lot but I tried forever on the math and couldn't get it. I'll try again before getting ready for bed. It's not like I have to get up for anything tomorrow." Lex laughed at the comment, realizing he still had hours of work to do and could only deal with the domestic issues for so long before hiring Chloe and her dad someone.

Chloe pointed out where her books were and Lex retrieved the math book and some paper from his own briefcase. "Where are we at?"

Chloe watched and shook her head at all the right moments but was honestly not listening to Lex's explanation of first derivatives; listening to his voice was more intoxicating. The way the man could make even pre-calculus sound sexy was beyond her. She was pretty sure if her teacher at school could teach with the same tone and smoothness, she would have an A in the class.

"Are you understanding?" He paused and looked at Chloe's long off look. "Chloe, are you ok?" Lex put the pencil down and laid his hand on top of her arm. She felt warm, but not in a sensual way.

"I've got a headache. I think I just need to get in the bath for a little bit." Chloe pushed the books away from her and pushed herself out of the chair. She quickly felt Lex's warm hands helping her up and guiding her upstairs.

"Chloe, I can help you," he felt as if he was pleading. He knew she was still trying to be her spunky self; he applauded her for it. She needed help though.

Following her up the stairs, he noticed the chair she pointed out. "Just wait for me please." He sighed taking the simple order of waiting on her as she slowly shuffled to and from her bathroom. "I'll be out in a bit. I want you to stay until someone gets home if that's ok."

Taking her hand in his, he looked up at her happy that she wanted him around. "Of course." Chloe smiled and squeezed his hand as she placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she forcibly whispered before closing the bathroom door. On the other side of the door, she leaned against the counter and breathed heavily. _Oh please tell me I didn't just screw everything up_, she thought to herself after realizing that she had kissed him. She tried to control her breathing but felt faint, whether from the meds or Lex. "Lex," she hollered.

Coming through the door slowly, he caught Chloe mid-slink to the floor. Holding her upright against the vanity cabinet, he sat down on the ceramic floor next to her. She was warmer than before. "Chloe, you've got a fever. How about forgoing the full bath and just sponge off? You haven't done enough today to go to all the trouble."

Standing up, he warmed the towel that she had for the bath and wet it. He took her face gently in his palms and wiped her face. He carefully watched her eyes as they fluttered in tiredness. She was so limp yet so beautiful. Taking a deep breath, he wiped both arms and her neck, careful to not move her left side too much. "Hey, sit up a little."

Chloe's eyes opened to just see the man she was in love with. The man that intimidated corporate CEOs was giving her a sponge bath; her father couldn't even do that without blushing. But here Lex was. Sitting up, she was curious and had to ask. "How do you?"

"I saw my father help my mom once…before he lost his soul. Lean against my arm." Chloe did as he said and leaned forward and felt the fire begin in her chest as he rubbed the towel softly across her back. She felt her nipples harden realizing one of her breasts laid firmly in his grasp, so easy for him to take. And yet he did nothing. She felt safe with him; she was so wrong before.

Lex leaned her back against the cabinet and looked at her. "You up for the front?" He watched Chloe's jaw slightly drop.

"Lex, you don't have to."

"Chloe, we slept together a little over a week ago. You can trust me." Chloe nodded and closed her eyes as Lex lifted the oversized shirt up. Lex stopped for a moment and took a quick breath to get himself together. He loved her form; it wasn't perfectly hard like a model but it didn't need to be. Her skin was so smooth and taut. Moving the towel around her front, he barely edged the still bandaged areas from the excessive bruises.

Chloe couldn't help the feeling of need building up in her. Her underwear was almost soaked through just from Lex's hands touching her everywhere. Reaching out in the moment, she ran her fingers down his chest and watched his eyes. They never left his work at hand as he continued carefully cleaning around all of her delicate bruises.

"Thank you again," Chloe whispered as she continued raking her fingers down Lex's magenta colored silk shirt. Lex put the washcloth down and carefully lowered her shirt.

Looking down, he watched her trace her fingertips along his chest and arms.

"Chloe." He loved the sound of her name, even if it was to point out that she was coming dangerously close to going too far. Even if he wanted to pick her up and make passionate love to her, she was not in shape to enjoy even the foreplay. Closing his eyes, he bit his lip and removed her hand. "This isn't right."

"But," Chloe got out before Lex cupped her face in his hands and rubbed back the one tear that now plagued her perfect face. "Lex."

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You're just tired." Lex knew that wasn't her reason for the last few motions, but he couldn't be responsible for his actions if he let her go any further.

He helped her up and steadied her. She looked up at him as she grabbed his arms to keep her balance. The dizziness that came with the medication made the pain almost better to withstand. Locking eyes with the man she had chased off just a couple of days ago, she couldn't get past him; she wanted him for more than a trip to the bedroom.

Chloe ran her hand up his arm and around the back of his neck. Lex could feel the heat building between them, but still tried to keep his composure. Giving in to Chloe's need, he lowered his face to hers and ran his hand through her not so tame hair. He didn't care; she still wanted them to be together, and she couldn't hold out on the act any longer.

Lex touched her lips and swiped the inside of her lips with his tongue before opening his mouth to her already hot mouth. She tasted so good, and he hoped the taste would never leave him. Gaining the courage to do something out of his nature, all of this was out of his nature, he thought, he gently took her by the arms and pushed her out of the kiss.

"They'll be other times, I promise," he remarked in reaction to her obvious disappointment. "Let's get you changed for bed."

* * *

Chloe, honey are you ok?" Gabe called from the downstairs of the house. He nearly ran into Lex's car in his driveway and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, Gabe opened the door slightly hoping to not find the two making out on the couch. He was afraid of where this new found infatuation for the both of them would lead.

Walking up the stairs, he heard a small yelp and raced to Chloe's room, throwing the door open. He covered his eyes, seeing Chloe's shirt going over her head as she vocally winced at the pain of moving. Gabe watched the reflection in the mirror as the two didn't hear him barge into the room. _This is so wrong_, he thought to himself.

Gabe couldn't believe what he was watching. His former boss was actually helping his daughter get dressed, touching her topless... Gabe had seen enough. Knocking on the doorframe, both Lex and Chloe peered around the doorway of her bathroom.

"Mr. Sullivan, I see your meeting must have gone well. Chloe wasn't expecting you home for another hour or more." Lex rolled his sleeves down and casually kissed Chloe on the cheek.

Chloe stopped and stared at her father's reaction to the almost automatic action that Chloe was not even expecting in front of her father. Trying to cover up her obvious embarrassment, she smiled at Lex and shooed him from the bathroom.

Lex stood in the hallway with what he could tell was a very nervous Gabe Sullivan. "Mr. Luthor."

"You know you can call me Lex."

"Lex, come downstairs and let Chloe get settled. I'd offer you some Scotch but I'm afraid dark brew is all I have." Lex nodded in approval and followed the older man downstairs. He could feel the nervousness radiate off of Gabe as Gabe pulled two beers from the refrigerator.

"The meeting went very well. I'm pretty pleased at where I ended up after…" Gabe trailed off. Lex took a drink and laid the bottle on the table.

"I am still very sorry about the way all of last year ended up. If I could do anything to change the situation I would."

"Lex, I'm happy now. Well, mostly." Gabe took another deep breath and a large drink. "Although, I have this feeling that the talk we had in the hospital may need some serious revamping." Leaning further into the table, as if to make a point, Gabe calmed his voice to match the smoothness of his adversary and his daughter's obvious love.

Lex watched the calculated movements of the older man. "Sir?" Lex was not accustomed to using such words since he was usually the sir in the room, but he couldn't take a chance here. Chloe was Gabe's little girl – Lex was just the – he didn't know yet.

"I didn't want to ask this, but it seems that it has to come out. What are your intentions with Chloe?"

Lex stared at the man in disbelief. He was actually speechless. Then Lex couldn't help but giggle slightly. "Sir, I'm sorry but you just asked my intentions."

"Yes," Gabe responded completely serious.

Lex watched Gabe's reaction to the stark silence while seeing Chloe descend the stairs. Looking past Gabe, Lex eyed Chloe carefully. Smoothly, he rubbed a hand along the side of the beer bottle and looked at Chloe once more. "I love her."

TBC


	7. The Halftime Show Intro

The Halftime Show - Intro

Her mouth dropped. Stunned, Chloe panted heavily and grabbed her side as she turned on her heel and tried to get back upstairs. Gabe slowly began to stand as Lex jumped up from the table to go after her.

"Chloe!" Lex calmly raised his voice and followed swiftly behind her. Cutting in front of her, he stood in front of the stairs. Looking down at her face, he desperately wanted his last decision on what to say back. "Chloe, talk to me."

Her face became redder with frustration and anger. _How could he do this? Everything was perfect? He couldn't just enjoy himself – he had to take it to the next level. This supposed genius has finally lost his mind. _"Fine," she huffed out and started back in the kitchen. Glaring at her father, she walked through the kitchen and out the back door.

She looked over her shoulder just enough to see Lex was still only a few steps behind her. She flung the side door to the garage open and shut it behind her just before Lex could enter.

Slamming the door in his face, Lex momentarily stopped to reanalyze what had just taken place. _I say I love her. I know she loves me, but instead she's flipping out. What is the deal with the women I want? _Lex couldn't figure the reasoning, but Chloe was not going to get the last word this time.

Opening up the door, he saw her clutch her side and hunch over. Swiftly, he moved to her side and put out his arm. He watched as the retractable door shut behind him and left the two of them alone. "Chloe," he spoke softly. "Let's talk about this. I wasn't exactly going to lie to your father. I wanted to tell you first but the moment kind of disappeared when your father came home and walked in on us."

Chloe looked up into the cool blue eyes that she was trying to ignore_. It can't possibly be true – he said the word love. Lex uttered the word love in a sentence directed at me_, she thought. She leaned against the cold steel of her car and inhaled slowly at Lex's continued advances.

Leaning on one hand, Lex moved to take her hand and Chloe flinched. "Talk about what?! You said you loved me! You told my _dad _that you love me? Are you sniffing meteor rock at night or something?!" Chloe slipped out of the close vicinity of Lex, tingling as she ran brushed her thigh against his in passing. "You are so full of yourself – you are the most arrogant, self absorbed, overly obsessive, completely irritating person I have ever met! Everything has to revolve around you – you have to get your way every time. Don't you…"

"Chloe, is everything alright in there?" Gabe repeated a couple of times while knocking on the door. "Honey, don't overexert yourself please."

Chloe watched as the knob of the door started to turn and she opened it. "Dad, I have to finish something here. I'm ok, I promise," Chloe pleaded through the crack of the opened door. "I'll be in soon and Lex," she turned and looked at him, "I just have to get this out with him. Now. Alone."

Gabe looked at his daughter and sighed. "Take it easy and don't let him upset you too much. If you have any problems, call me." He halfway smiled at his daughter, now a young woman, knowing she could in fact take care of herself where the Luthors were concerned as she had so many times before.

Closing the door, she turned back and looked at Lex. Her face was completely drawn, muscles in her mouth clenched from holding her angry pose for so long. Lex walked toward her as she continued moving around the garage. "As I was saying, don't you ever thing about anyone but yourself and exactly what you think you deserve?"

Lex stepped up in front of her as she leaned against an old refrigerator, balancing herself since the pain killers still made her woozy. "Chloe, let me just…"

"No, I'm not finished. You could even think for a second what the repercussions would be for all this. I mean if you didn't try to go be all high and mighty and cut in front of me in the living room, we could be doing this in the comfort of my room."

"I'm sure your father would have loved to listen to us fight from his room." Lex grabbed either side of the refrigerator in frustration. He could barely stand looking at her; she infuriated him just as much as turning him on.

"Not that you self-absorbed moron, this," Chloe hissed as she grabbed him around the neck and pulled him into her, covering his mouth with hers.

TBC


	8. The Halftime Show

_A/N - Thank you for all the reviews. Keep doing so. Here's the next installment, smut filled._

The Halftime Show

Lex pulled his hands from the sides of the refrigerator and cupped the back of her head. Closing his eyes, he could feel her tongue slip into his mouth and move to deepen the kiss between them. His head swam with excitement. Slowing her down, he maneuvered his tongue inside her lips and felt her shiver in his hands.

Chloe's hands moved down his neck and again ran along the front of his chest, feeling for all the slight ripples of his defined body. She shivered at the small movements of his mouth and the gentleness of his hands caressing her head.

Lex pulled out of the kiss and slid one hand around to her back and down one shoulder. Looking at her again, he stopped. "What the hell is happening here?" He spoke soft so Chloe knew it wasn't worded out of anger; there was something else.

Chloe leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "You said you loved me, and to get out of dealing with dad, I went off on you where I could get you alone."

Lex backed up where he could see her clearly. "You mean this whole argument that we just had was to escape your dad?"

Chloe looked irritated at the sudden idiocy of who she thought was the smartest person in Smallville. She continued rubbing his chest with her hands and smiled. "Ok, so maybe I don't scheme to get ahead in the world like some people but my little plan worked. We're alone, but like I said, I would have rather have this fight in the bedroom."

Lex backed up and looked at her. She was stunning with her hair damp and her still black eye. He was actually proud of finally having someone that cared for him that was as tough, and in ways tougher, than he was. He looked around the garage and thought.

"Chloe, I know you your pain meds are kicking in and you feel like you're on top of the world right now, but you are not in shape, and you know what the doctors told you."

Chloe stood up away from the frig and gingerly walked toward Lex. "Let me make my own decisions about what I feel ok?" Chloe walked around to the back of the vehicle and seductively called for Lex.

Coming around the corner, he saw her pointing innocently to the backdoor of her father's SUV. "Chloe, this is …"

Chloe ran her hands along Lex's arms, down his chest, and grabbed his already hard cock. "Look, I'm assuming you haven't been with anyone in the last week, or at least I'm hoping that's the case. And I really need something or I might just explode." Chloe leaned against the door of the SUV, almost panting her words. "For me; if we get caught, I'll take the blame since it is my idea."

She watched as Lex suddenly seemed unsure of himself and looked around. Grabbing his collar, she pulled him into a swift kiss and then pushed him back. "Look Mr. Nervous, I locked the garage door and the entrance. Just be quiet." Chloe moved out of the way of the door and watched as Lex opened the back hatch.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Lex admitted to himself that he was in love with the woman, but he didn't want to hurt her. He watched as Chloe climbed carefully inside the back of the SUV and leaned against the seat. Lex climbed up beside her and lowered the back seat down where she could lay back some. Looking up at him, she smiled. "I don't want to hurt you," he said nervously.

"Then don't. Let's just say that between the breasts and the waist is off limits." She smiled bigger and gritted her teeth to keep herself from laughing. She flitted with a button on his shirt as a signal to take it off. Then she stopped suddenly, dropping her playful nature.

Sensing the change in her demeanor, Lex stopped rubbing her soft arm. "What? Chloe?"

Chloe looked up at him and rubbed his face once more. "Tell me." She paused watching for his reaction of confusion. "Lex, tell me what you told my dad." She almost looked sad, scared that he would have changed his mind.

Leaning over her face, brushing her hair back into a fan, he softly ran his fingers down her cheek and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I love you Chloe," he whispered. He sighed and pulled his hand back but felt Chloe grab it in response.

"I love you too; I just didn't want to be the first to admit it since you didn't seem receptive to love." A tear ran down the side of her cheek and she felt Lex wipe it off her face. He took the same hand and ran his fingers gently over her shirt down the center of her chest, carefully staying between her breasts since he knew where her bruising was the worst. Leaning over, he kissed her deeply, balancing over her. He could feel his temperature rise and knew that she could feel his hardness pressed up against her thigh.

He was not sure how he was going to make it through the evening pleasuring her quickly where Gabe would not get suspicious, much less make it out of her house to take care of himself. He wasn't going to worry Chloe with such a task. Carefully he slipped his mouth away from her and kissed her down the right side of her neck, crawling himself out of the back of the vehicle at the same time. He made sure only to touch her right side.

He watched her eyes as they went from opened to closed and her eyelids fluttered at each of his touches. She would stay completely clothed and above her waist was off limits, he told himself. Getting out of the back of the car, he straddled her feet on the bumper and slipped his fingers into the waistband of her sweats.

Chloe's head popped up, and she sighed watching Lex pull her sweats down to her ankles. Laying her head back down, she started to breathe harder feeling Lex run his fingers up and down the inside of her thighs. Lifting his head up to meet her eyes, he nodded. "You're going to have to stay calm or I'm not doing this. I'm not going to hurt you."

Chloe sighed, "Not hurting me. No problems here." Lex laughed lightly at her half breathy comments as he continued to softly touch her. He could feel her temperature rise again but this time was not a fever. He watched as Chloe carefully scooted further down in the vehicle, making her easy to access. He knew now that he really was not able to leave until he gave her what she wanted.

Running his fingers inside of her legs again, he pulled one leg of her sweats off and draped it on the bumper. Starting at her knee, he kissed the inside of her right leg up to her folds. Looking over her midsection, he caught Chloe's eyes. "Exactly how long have you been waiting for this?" he whispered jokingly while lightly touching her wetness.

"Waiting, too long," she panted as she nodded her head. "Wanted you this morning, dreamt about you." She grabbed his hand in hers and positioned his fingers on her clit.

Lex nodded and continued letting her guide his one hand in small circles over her clit. He ran his other hand down her arm as a way to clam her from getting too excited. His cock continued to twitch irritatingly in his pants as Chloe started to loosen her grip from his fingers. Pulling out of her grip he eased up further against the car bumper, pressing his now throbbing cock into an uncomfortable position between him and the bumper. He hoped it would take the strain off , kill his impulse to take her all.

"Lex," she panted. "Need to feel you," Chloe whimpered.

Lex watched as her hands grabbed the backseat seatbelt and the other upright seat. Smiling, Lex ran both hands between her thighs and parted her wet folds once more with his fingers before licking the inside of her thighs to tease her. Rounding his hands carefully around her hips to hold her in place, Lex kissed her inside thighs, just barely out of reach of her clit.

Feeling her try to buck, Lex held her hips in place. "Chloe, you have to be still. Don't make me stop because I'm afraid of hurting you." He felt Chloe's body loosen under his grip and he licked the inside her thighs again, this time running the very edge of his tongue along one of her folds.

"Oh Lex," she panted, waiting for what was coming.

Lex backed up a moment and watched Chloe as she continued saying his name. Opening her eyes, she caught a glimpse of his smile and returned the look. "Don't stop please." Lex lowered his head again in between her thighs and felt Chloe's hand press down gently on his head. Massaging his head, he could feel the rhythm that Chloe wanted and responded.

Leaning into her, he licked up the left side of her wet folds and back down the right two more times. He could barely eye her insides becoming redder and fuller in anticipation. Taking her clit gently in his teeth, he teased the nubs with his tongue before releasing his teeth's grip. "God, where you learn … oh Lex," she continued to pant repeatedly.

Looking up momentarily, he eyed her and rubbed his hands along her side to calm her down again. "Chloe honey, you think we should stop?"

Grabbing Lex's hand, she intertwined her fingers with his. Chloe lifted her head up slightly and begged, "I want to come… so bad. Please."

Lex smiled and lowered his head and continued running his tongue inside her wetness, moving deeper into her through every motion. He could feel her slightly buck underneath his hands as she returned to guiding his motions with her hand. Taking another bite, he sucked her clit into the depths of his mouth and plunged his tongue deep into her as she let out a small whimper before covering her mouth.

Pulling up from her, he licked his wet lips. "Come for me Chloe, come for me."

"Don't…want … to…yet."

Lex applied a slight bit more pressure and covered her entirety with his mouth, sucking gently in between each lap of his tongue. Feeling Chloe's grip intensify, he increased the motion of his tongue and carefully took her right breast in his hand while holding her still with the other.

Chloe watched as Lex kneaded her breast without hesitation and yet avoided all the bruising just to side of it. She gulped and kept from holding her breath. Her heart beat more rapidly as she moved her hand along his head and down the side of his face. She couldn't see him buried in her. Her body was screaming to move. Her left side started to hurt, but she ignored the pain. She resigned herself to not having Lex in her. He was going to take her willingly; he loved her and wanted this.

She felt his teeth take her folds and lick between them and then his mouth opened up once more to plunge his tongue deep into her depths. She couldn't hold it anymore. "Lex, I…" She couldn't finish her statement and felt her body shake dizzyingly. Grabbing the seat and belt again, she felt her body shake under Lex's grip as a warm sensation ran through her. She could feel the numbness in her knees as her body released another wave of warmth.

Taking a careful deep breath, she lowered her hands to her sides and closed her eyes. She continued concentrating on her breathing, trying to ignore the pain that suddenly came over her. Looking up, she now saw Lex pull up the end of his shirt tail and dab his mouth like a person would after a good meal.

Lex hooked his fingers into her pants and returned them to their original position. Leaning back in the SUV next to her, Lex propped himself up on one hand, taking her hand in the other. "You ok?"

"Better than ok." Chloe winced. "Ok, maybe a little pain, but nothing could have kept me from enjoying that. Now, I'm just really dizzy." Chloe looked over at Lex who kept staring at her, leaning over her. "Lex, you look funny, almost relaxed. You're worrying me." Chloe giggled slightly and winced again.

Lex continued running his thumb up and down Chloe's hand. "Relaxed? Me?" He smirked at her on purpose. "Nah." He let go of her hand and balanced over her. Bending down, he kissed her and felt her arm go around his neck. Opening his mouth, he let her taste herself on his mouth.

Pushing him back, she smiled. "I think it's my turn." Chloe gingerly sat up and looked at Lex's obvious pleasure he got from having her. Sliding out of the back of the vehicle, she grasped the bumper to stay upright. Lex watched as she positioned herself and then carefully eyed where her face was in relation to the car.

"Chloe, you don't have…" Chloe pointed at him as if to hush as she looked around the garage. Grabbing the step stool in the corner, she sat down on it and motioned for Lex to come to her.

"Throw your leg over and come here." Lex laughed as she did but moved to where she could easily reach him without straining herself or touching the bumper. Pleading with her to be careful, "Chloe, you really don't have to do anything."

"Nonsense," she teased as she ran her hands up his legs and undid his belt. Lex leaned back, realizing her was not going to win the battle with Chloe. She was going to pay him back regardless of how she felt. Sighing, he rolled his head back and closed his eyes as she gently tugged his cock from his now overly restraining pants.

Chloe lowered her mouth over him and felt the warmth inside her body increase again. She looked up at Lex, who rolled his head and closed his eyes. She felt his hand entwine in her hair as she slowly began to go up and down on his shaft. "Chloe," he moaned as she continued moving back and forth.

Chloe took a deep breath and moved again to the base of his cock, trying hard to take the mass in. She had never tried this before and hoped he wasn't too upset. Forgetting to breathe, she stopped and gagged a little before continuing.

Lex cupped her face and pulled her back, jolting at the pop her mouth gave when letting go. "Chloe, you don't have to do this. This doesn't make me love you any more or less."

Chloe covered her mouth with both of her hands and choked back her tears. Covering her face, she watched through her fingers Lex re-adjust and do himself up. Pulling himself up to the edge of the bumper, he laid Chloe's head down on his knee. She noticed he had lost his urge and burst into tears thinking it was her fault.

Lex rubbed his fingers repeatedly through her hair and whispered over and over, "I love you. Don't cry about this." Lex lifted Chloe's head where she could see him. He wiped her cheek and cupped her face.

"But…the other women…they can…but you chose me…I can't…I never…" Chloe fell into his lap again and sobbed harder, not being able to finish her thought. She could picture other women sucking his cock until he would come for them. With every image, she buried herself deeper into his leg.

Lex leaned over and rubbed his hand down her back and continued to calm her. Whispering in her ear, he reassured her, "You are the most amazing woman. I don't want you to ever compare yourself with anyone." Lifting her head up, she looked at Lex once more. Rubbing his hand down her cheek, he smiled at her, "As for the act per se, it takes time." Leaning in closer, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "And I for one think we have all the time in the world to perfect … us."

Chloe rubbed the back of her head and wiped away her remaining tears. A forced smile came across her face as she touched the sides of Lex's face. "I…"

"Chloe, honey? Are you two ok? You've been in there for awhile?"

Chloe's eyes grew almost out of their sockets, forgetting about her dad. She stood up and pushed the step stool back into place. Eyeing Lex, she saw he was all put back together. Pulling her hair back into her ponytail, she took a deep breath and quietly pulled the hook out of the garage door. Sitting back in the SUV, she watched Lex pull the backseat into place and then pull the garage door up.

Gabe came around the corner of the garage and caught Lex leaning back against the bumper of his SUV. "Honey, you look like you were crying?" Gabe glared at Lex and took Chloe's face in his hands. "And you're warm honey. You need to get to bed."

"Dad, I'm fine. Lex and I were talking. Trying to get some things out in the air." Chloe took her father's hand and slid out of the SUV. Leaning against the edge of the garage, she watched Lex close the vehicle door.

"And? What did you two come up with in your very long discussion?" Gabe was suspicious. He knew better than to leave the two alone for the amount of time he had. He trusted his daughter but didn't trust her friend, at least not completely. Gabe thought about his wording, friend. He needed to know.

Chloe looked at Lex nervously. Turning back to her father she held her hand out to Lex. Taking her hand, Lex slid in between her and the garage door facing. Laying his hands gently on either of her shoulders, he gently soothed her. He knew she wanted to tell her dad but was nervous as hell.

"Dad, we'll talk about this later. I was just going to say goodnight and get to bed. I need some more pain medication." Chloe slipped out of Lex's hands and turned to face him.

Lex leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Grabbing her hand one last time, he squeezed it and smiled. "Get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow." Looking back at Gabe, he added without sound, "I love you."

Letting go of her hand, he calmly started down the driveway, eyeing the new arrivals. "Gabe. Clark. Lana."

Chloe watched as Lex drove away and then eyed the three now standing and staring at her. "Clark, Lana. How long have you been there?"

Clark looked at Chloe, "Long enough."


	9. 3rd Quarter 1st and 2nd Down

3rd Quarter – 1st and 2nd Quarter

Chloe stared at Clark and tried to read his expression. She could see he was trying to hide whatever he knew from Lana. Passing him on the driveway, she lurched when the pain in her side suddenly returned. Gabe took her in his arms and led her back into the house.

Lying down on the couch, Gabe readjusted her pillows and retrieved her some more medication and something to drink. Lana and Clark sat across from her and waited.

Clark was obviously nervous about starting this conversation. He knew better than to get involved with something personal in Chloe's life but he would have never imagined Lex. "So," he started as Chloe took her pills. Looking over at Lana, she motioned for him to continue, "What's going on? I came by to visit and Lana told me you were talking to Lex."

Chloe could read the indignation in Clark's stare then realized that the only way that Lana would have known anything was because her dad told her. Snapping an angry look at her father, she sat up and took her medication. She watched suspiciously as Lana whispered something to Clark

Clark leaned in and took Chloe's hand. "I think I may be one more person than needed tonight. Your dad said you'll be back to school next week – I'll talk to you when you get back." He pressed his lips together in frustration and squeezed her hand a bit more. "Take care of yourself."

Chloe halfway smiled at the loaded statement. As Clark stood, she tugged on his hand and retorted, "Thank you. And you be safe going [Ihome[/I." She hoped that Clark could catch the hint.

Clark smiled as Lana walked him out. Watching the door close behind Lana, Chloe turned her attention to her father. Disappointed, she carefully worded her phrase, "Dad, what business was it of Lana or Clark's that I was visiting with Lex?"

Gabe shuffled his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. He couldn't stand the mental image of what he thought could have happened in the time they were outside. She was 18, but she was still his daughter and only child. Turning to look at his patiently waiting daughter, he couldn't answer. "You look tired. You should get to bed."

Chloe painfully pulled herself off the couch and steadied herself. "I asked you a question. Dad, we've always been totally honest with each other. I don't know many dads who actually were in charge of getting their daughters through their first period and took on the birds and the bees by themselves. I don't want this to turn into some awkward point of no return in our relationship."

Sighing, Gabe gave in. "I didn't have the guts to break up whatever was going on." Gently wrapping his arm around her, he broke into a soft whisper. "I don't want to lose my little girl."

Pulling back out of her father's grip, she looked over at Lana coming in the door. Looking back at her father, she smiled and understood. Her father knew, at least suspected. Hugging him carefully, she whispered in his ear, "You won't, but I love him and I'm a big girl now." Pulling out his grip, she carefully walked up the stairs, leaving her dad to worry.

Chloe sat on her bed and began to cry. Lana peaked around the corner and eyed Chloe's reaction to the whole evening. "Knock knock."

Drying her eyes, she swung her legs over on the bed gingerly and reached for the sheet, gasping in pain. Lana pulled the sheet over Chloe and then sat down on the edge of the bed. "Thank you for taking care of Clark. His third degree was not part of the evening I was looking forward to."

"No problem." A strange silence fell over the two as they stared throughout the darkened room. "Chloe, if there's anything I can do…"

"No offense, but I'm not ready to talk about it." She read the disappointment and confusion on Lana's face. Chloe knew more about Lex from the months they saw each other off and on during his dealings with his father. Lana knew him from the business. Seeing Lana still quite mesmerized by her Chloe's reaction and situation, she asked. "Do you think Lex is a good person?"

Lana sat thinking for a few more silent moments and smiled at Chloe. Lana wasn't one to really know. Her involvement with the man was business and whatever she had heard from Clark, who was more untrustworthy of Lex's motives than anyone else. Taking Chloe's hand, Lana shook her head. "As much I would like to tell you how I feel or what Clark feels, do [Iyou[/I think that Lex is a good person? Because after that, whatever anyone else thinks shouldn't matter."

Chloe thought carefully about the sudden insight that Lana had. Letting go of her hand, she smiled. "Thanks. Really." She watched Lana pull the blanket within Chloe's reach and start out of the room. "One more thing…"

"Hmm?"

"You think I'm crazy?"

"Are you happy?"

Chloe paused, wondering if she was giving too much up. She was too thrilled to care, whether the side effects of the meds or just the place she was finally in. "Incredibly."

"There you go. That's it. Get some sleep and …sweet dreams." Lana shut the door and left Chloe in the dark besides the one small nightlight coming from the closet. Smiling to herself in the dark, she realized she couldn't wipe the ridiculously happy grin off her face. She didn't care what people thought or called her; she was in love.

……………..

Chloe sat in front of the mess in the Torch. She loved Lana and Clark like siblings but they were no use in the newsroom. And she thought she had trained Clark. She started sorting through files of stories that had actually been somehow been put into a paper the past week. That particular issue was … scary at the least. The Torch needed to get back on track. It would be a late, drug induced night.

"Hey. Glad to see you back. Lana said you took it easy this weekend." Clark pulled a chair up next to the desk that Chloe sat at. "Can I help?"

"Actually," she pointed at a stack of random folders that she had no idea what they were. "Could you either tell me what those are, which I really don't care, or file them where you think they belong and I'll put them where they really go later." Nodding her head in agreement with herself, she went back to checking her long ignored email.

Clark picked up the files and did as he was told while watching Chloe sift through email. Finishing, he walked up behind her and glanced over her shoulder. "Lex? You're still talking to him?"

Chloe spun around in the chair and stared at Clark. "Out with it." Getting out of the chair, she stomped across the floor and slammed the office door. Standing in front of the door, she crossed her arms and waited. "What is it? What did you 'see'?"

Clark tried to move toward her, and she motioned for him to steer clear. "I'm not interested in a comfort scene right now. I have that. What…did…you…see?"

"Lex? Chloe, I…"

"Spit it out Clark. You've been wanting this conversation since last week, so let's go."

Clark stood contemplating how to approach his obvious frustration to her. "Chloe, he's dangerous and not the most trusting person." He paused as she wasn't impressed. "Ok, I 'heard' and then 'saw' something that I would rather not repeat out loud before I went to see Lana in the house."

Chloe's blood pressure was rapidly getting out of control for this conversation. The meds were for pain, not for this. Arms still crossed, she lowered herself on the couch and waited for the continuation of his story.

"Chloe, he's dangerous."

"Again, my decision. What did you see?"

"Enough to keep Lana and Mr. Sullivan occupied until you two were 'done.'" Clark sat down next to Chloe on the couch and stared at her. "Chloe, I want you to be careful. And I'm here if you …"

Clark and Chloe both looked up as the door opened slowly. "Did my father ransack the place again or is this what happens untrained people are left in charge." Lex eyed Clark's disturbed look as Chloe got up and moved toward the door.


	10. 3rd Quarter 3rd Down

3rd Down – 3rd Quarter

Chloe walked over and welcomed Lex into the Torch. Reaching out with one arm, Lex wrapped Chloe into his body gently. "Hey beautiful. Clark." He loosened his grip and guided Chloe back into the office. "So, what happened here?" Lex picked up a stack of folders and handed them to Chloe as she opened another file cabinet drawer.

"My co-editor has a lot to learn about a great many things." Chloe smiled at Lex and shot Clark the look of death.

Lex looked over at Clark and smirked, "Harsh. So, how's the football game coming? I haven't been there for business but I was planning on getting back out there this afternoon."

Clark couldn't believe the arrogance of Lex. The man actually thought that he would be welcome anymore. "The game is coming along although I think we replaced your position. You hadn't called in so we didn't know what to do."

Chloe shut the file cabinet so loud that the windows shook. "You what? You just found a way to get him out of the way, you…"

Chloe felt a soft touch along her back and stopped. "It's alright. He has a valid point that I have missed the practices because I was taking care of you and I work. I see the point that he would need to make sure the team is filled with high school jocks that people like. My appearance may make people feel more uncomfortable."

Chloe looked up above her shoulder where Lex had now laid his hands to comfort her partially and to irritate Clark more. Chloe slipped out of his grip and turned around, "That's not the point. You signed up and paid more money than anyone, and I want to see you play." Lex laughed at her plea.

"Chloe, I'm more the chess team than the football team anyway. Let them have their little high school tradition; I'll leave the money – it's for a good cause."

"But," she bit her lip and stared at Clark. Shaking her head in anger and disbelief, she walked out of the Torch, running into Lana in the process.

Peeking her head in, she saw the staredown going on in Chloe's office. "How about we go check for those pictures in the counseling office for my article." Lana eyed both men and walked off with Chloe in tow.

Clark stood up and walked across the office and started cleaning up the light table. Lex watched the pensive moves to stay clear of the sworn enemy. "You hurt her."

Clark whipped around and shook his head in anger. "Me? What happens when she finds out what kind of person you really are? When she finds the room that has my entire past plastered all over it? My hurting over a football game is going to be nothing compared to you breaking her heart."

Lex stood quietly and focused his attention on the latest article on the screen. Hitting the save button, he looked back at Clark who apparently had a problem with Lex touching the equipment.

"Clark, first, I own these computers so that look is not necessary. Second, that room is gone; I welcome you to visit just long enough to see the proof and then leave. Lastly and most importantly, I love her and I don't plan on hurting her."

"Exactly. You never plan to hurt anyone but you do. You do research, you kill half the county's livestock, you try to imprison your father and almost kill both Chloe and her father and don't even give the courtesy call when she does end up fine. Yeah, that's real love."

"So, that's what this is. You're upset with me for not being you. I'm sorry Clark, but I don't have a hero complex and feel the need to stick my nose into everyone's business. I have my own business to attend to. Besides, I'm not the one that hurt her first."

"What? Are you kidding me? You're not going to turn this around on me. You know that this will never end well. Look at your track record Lex. And I didn't hurt her first."

"Really? I'd say flaunting Lana on your arm the past year and always talking about Lana and asking Chloe's opinions of what Lana would like would have clued you in. Oh wait, you were thinking about Lana. Now, I'm not putting the girl down Clark, she's who she is and happily not in my business like some people, but for all your suspicious abilities, apparently seeing how much someone has pined over for years is not one of them."

"You're twisting things all out of proportion to get off the topic."

"You don't give up. Ask her; ask her how she felt about you for years. I bet I'm right. Goodness knows I know the truth. So, I screwed up and lost track of her last year. So, I didn't find her, you did. But did you know that she's a ruthless monopoly player? You know her favorite book is Anna Karenina? She can tango better than most of the women I've dated. Exactly what do you really know about your friend Chloe. Really Clark, enlighten me – I would love to know something else that she might like."

Clark walked towards Lex and looked at him sternly. "What the hell are you talking about? Chloe's never taken a dance lesson. How would you know?"

Lex resisted taking a step back. Clark was more than partly in Lex's personal space but the step back would be seen as a losing move. Taking a deeper sigh, he stared at the young, oblivious man. "Her father taught her. It was something he and Chloe's mom used to do when they first met. Very classy in my opinion." Lex moved back and sat down on the couch, still keeping eye contact with his adversary. "Clark, she wasn't alone all summer. I knew exactly where she was, and as soon as I got out of the hospital I saw her. Her asking about me last fall was a cover; she knew what happened."

Clark sat in the chair behind him. The two men stared at each other. Clark broke contact and picked up his books. "That isn't over. I'll see you on the field," Clark threatened, "Stay out of my way, and stay away from Chloe."

Lex put his arms comfortably along the back of the couch and leaned back, "This afternoon then." Lex ignored the idle threat about her. Looking around the empty Torch office, he located a random pad and wrote.

_Sorry about the little interruption. I'm sure Clark will let you know what happened, at least his version. I'm back in the game though. I believe he thinks physical pain may be his only option now. Got any hints about not getting my neck broken? I have a meeting, but I will be back this afternoon. _

_Love, Lex_

Laying the pad on top of the keyboard, he knew she would find it. Closing the door behind him, he eyed Clark at his locker and sighed. If Clark could get past his issues of babysitting everyone, they could still be friends. Double dating wouldn't be half bad. Turning, he walked down the hall and out the door.

……………..

Lana stood over Chloe in the bathroom stall and handed her another wad of toilet paper. "Lana I swear, I don't mean to put him down, but Clark needs to butt the hell out. Can't you talk to him?"

"Look, Clark has some moments that I can't even control, and seeing he is in charge of the game, I don't really know what I can do."

Chloe looked up Lana and wiped the remainder of her eyeliner across her face. "You can tell your boyfriend to grow up and put him in. He's being a child and a parent all at once." Chloe got up and pushed past Lana in the stall and tried to fix her face.

"I was happy. Lex makes me happy. My father was ok with it, but then Clark thinks he has to be my dad and push my boyfriend around. I finally find someone that's not going to mutate, or shapeshift, or try to kill me willingly, maybe accidently, and Clark has to show up and fuck it all up!"

Chloe turned around and stared at the girls walking into the bathroom. They were shocked; no one had ever Chloe Sullivan curse like that. Lana wasn't moving, afraid that moving would incite another rampage. Clark really had done it this time. She had seen this side of him, but never seen the result. The girls turned tail and left, no doubt to tell the rest of the school.

"Great! Now that my relationship is out there in high school haven, let the real mud slinging begin. This can't possibly get any worse. This is my first day back and it turns to shit!" Lana handed Chloe another wad of paper to wipe her face as the door opened again.

"Ms. Sullivan?"

"Chloe," Lana tugged on her shirt.

"What?!" Chloe looked in the direction of the Ms. Martin, the counselor.

Rubbing her on the back, Lana whispered, "I'll talk to Clark," and walked out of the bathroom. Entering the hallway, several people were standing around and waiting for a response. "Mind your own business," she announced and spied Clark leaning on her locker.

"How is she?"

"How do you think? She's an emotional wreck thanks to your little temper check. Now," she turned and poked Clark in the chest angrily. "Let Lex play, don't say another word to her unless its an apology and, for right now, don't talk to me either." Lana shut her locker and walked off as Clark felt the rest of the hallway peering at him.

Clark lowered his head and listened to the conversation in the bathroom and realized the line he had crossed. Chloe was in love with Lex too. She would have to get hurt on her own now; he was done butting in. Seeing her coming through the door, he walked up to her.

"Not now Mr. Kent, but I want to see you later." Chloe looked at him with her bloodshot eyes and let the counselor walk her away. Standing in the middle of the hallway, he looked around and suddenly felt like what he was, an alien.

Chloe went back to the Torch and locked the door. She read the note on her desk and smiled. Love. He signed it love. He mentioned that Clark…Clark could…kill…him. Chloe picked up the phone and dialed.

"Luthor."

"It's Chloe. Could you do me a favor? Could you come by the Torch office before you head to the football field. The meds kind of wear off toward the end of the day and would rather ride over with you."

"Sure, is everything ok?"

"Yeah. It's fine."

Lex felt hesitant about hanging up but looked across the table at the gentlemen suits sitting in front of him. "I'll see you then," he answered and hung up.

Chloe sat in the Torch office and pulled up the school files. Typing in several random keys, she turned on the password cracker and found what she needed. She picked up the small container that she had hidden in the Torch filing cabinet and headed down the hall.

The rest of the school was at lunch. She picked the lock and snuck in the lab. Keying in the code to the chemical closet, she searched the shelves quickly and found the vials she was looking for.

Staring at it in her hand, she quickly rethought her intentions. And then decided that it had to be done. Closing the chemical closet, she snuck back into the Torch office and hid her piece away. Sitting in the chair, she felt sorry for her actions. She loved him like a brother, a meddling brother, and was done with that. She felt mostly sorry for Lana; she's just the innocent bystander.

And if Lex got blamed, she would figure that out later. Then again, Lex got blamed for everything, so how would it be different.

TBC


	11. 4th Down for the Game

A/N - It's been awhile. I kind of actually forgot about this site until someone favorited this story, so I'm back. Here are the next two parts. Feedback is Lovely!

4th Down for the Game –

"The two teams are lined up at the line of scrimmage. The defense has settled into its usual 3-4 line. Lex Luthor is back in the game today after missing several practices," Chloe heard the announcer speak as she watched Clark count off the play.

"This is kind of exciting," Lana remarked as the first play went off. She took Chloe's hand and broke a half smile. "It's nice having you in the stands with us."

Chloe watched the first play of the game fall flat. Clark had eyed Lex through the first play and the wide receiver just dropped the ball to a loud, disappointed crowd. Lex had nothing to do with the play. Eyeing Clark, she rolled her eyes and stared at Lex.

"Chloe?"

Chloe turned and looked in Lana's direction. "It is nice. I guess I never felt like I belonged up here during the season you know with you sitting with the jock's wives club."

Lana somewhat giggled and shook her head. "I think Lex just earned his place in the jocks category after that last move." Lana pointed to the field as Chloe see Lex push himself up off the turf.

"I missed it."

Lana wrapped her fingers in Chloe's and smiled. "It was a smart play. Derek pulled up the middle and Lex jumped off his man and caught the flag before falling face first in the turf thanks to Mason's catch of his ankles. Lex is actually really good." Chloe glanced over at Lana and smiled.

"Yeah, he is."

Lana looked ay Chloe, covering her mouth knowing the double meaning in the statement. "I bet."

Lex pulled out of the huddle and nodded at John, the defensive lineman. "The next play is most certainly a end around. Clark always plays the RB around the 2nd down. Way predictable."

Lex watched as Clark eyed the lineman and called the play. Andre followed the same pattern that John had stated, which pushed him right past Lex. Turning quickly on his heel, Lex missed Andre by a few millimeters. Spinning, he picked up the pace and gave chase until Andre had already ended up in the endzone.

Lex stood with his hands on his hips panting. He rubbed his forehead as Drew slapped him on the back. "Better luck next time. You almost had him. Come on." Lex slowly followed Drew back over to the sidelines and sat down.

Andre walked over and sat down on the other side of Lex. "So when does the defense turn on me also?" Lex joked.

Andre and Drew looked at each other and laughed. "You really think we're going to beat the crap out of you? Lex, we know that Clark is really pissed at you for something, but that's his team that has it out for you. Besides, we're not about to hurt the man who employs both of our dads and is dating the girl voted 'Most Likely to Get out of Smallville.'"

Lex looked back and forth at the guys on both sides of him as he handed the water bottle back. "What are you talking about?"

Drew sat back against the bleacher, crossing his arms. "Yeah, rumor has it that a very distinguished Porsche has been in the Sullivan's driveway a couple of times. And the quarterback has lost his fallback plan."

Lex continued to look interested in the conversation direction. "Anyway, for the yearbook, I'm on the committee, they voted for senior Most Likely's last week while Chloe was out. And after the rumor of your car being at her place made the halls, everyone figured that she would be the first out of Smallville. Oh, and don't tell her that she also won Most Likely to Intimidate. She might not like that."

Lex leaned back and nodded in agreement, "What did that one mean?"

Andre turned around and looked up in the stands and smiled at Chloe. "I mean there are more than a few guys sitting on either side of the field that would have loved to be attached to Chloe Sullivan, but she always seemed so…unattainable. Like we either needed to have some meteor power or at least some talent. I admit I was one. But we settled for the pretties, like Clark did because it was easier not to feel intimidated by our own girlfriend, like it would have been with Chloe. She's a great match for you."

Andre patted Lex on the back as the referee called a time out for the end of the quarter. Lex turned around and watched Chloe wave. "Let's get back in there and beat the crap out of them. We can't let them run all over us."

Lex looked up at the scoreboard and saw that the offense had tied up the game while the boys were talking. Lining up, he smiled to himself thinking about Chloe being mad about her level of intimidation. She actually would probably be angrier about the lack of dates in high school was because boys thought she was too good for them.

Lex eyed Clark over the huddle and rolled his eyes. She had been his fallback plan, how sad. Hopefully Lana and he would make up because he had no plan now. Lex would make sure of that.

The ref blew the whistle and Lex eyed the offensive line and watched as Mason once again came around and dodged John on the line. Lex had missed Mason the last time in practice. He wouldn't miss this time. Cutting in front of him, Lex jumped deep in the air and pulled the ball down into his arms and took off.

"GO! Shit, that hurt!" Chloe screamed from the stands as she watched Lex cut off the first offensive lineman. She kneaded her hands together in anticipation. Lex was up the side of the field and had his blockers. She glanced over at Lana, who noticed nothing out of the ordinary. She was just screaming for her boyfriend to catch the defensive play.

Chloe watched Clark carefully add bits of undetectable speed as he moved up behind Lex and then he lurched. Not falling to his knees, Clark edged back away from Lex and watched as Lex ran into the other endzone.

Hands on his knees, Clark looked up from the uneven panting that started to calm. Clark turned and headed back over to the sidelines. Lex walked up behind him and Clark grabbed his side and looked directly at Lex.

"Clark?"

Clark shooed Lex away, "Get away." Clark hunched over and fell into the bleachers with a thud. The other players stared at Lex as Andre pulled on Lex's shirt.

"Let it go man," Lex nodded and headed to the other side of the field. He watched as Clark regained his composure and kicked a water bottle into the stands. Clark may not be his friend, but this was just a game. Lex didn't want anyone else getting hurt and especially blaming him for the outcome.

He sat and stared into space for the remainder of the offensive series, occasionally looking in the stands and seeing Chloe smile brightly at him.

"Hey, are you sitting this round out?" Drew slapped Lex out of his daydreaming.

Lex looked around and jumped off the bleacher. He looked over the offensive line and nodded to the rest of the team. He had scored the touchdown to pull the ahead and the rest of the line seemed to trust his judgment now. He watched as the ball seemed to change hands in slow motion.

Clark passed the ball off to the tight end and then continued to run up the middle. Not thinking of it, he watched Clark ease through the large young men without a scratch. Eyeing over the crowd, the tight end turned quickly before John went headlong into him. The ball came down in Clark's arms on the other side of the line, and he was purposely running toward Lex.

Reaching out to grab the flag off the side of Clark's shorts, he watched Clark grip the ball harder and lurch again, as if in pain. But he was still pushing forward. Clark held his elbow out around the ball and ran into Lex, crushing him into the turf before falling himself.

"Oh God!" Lana pointed as Chloe noticed the collision. Taking a breath she secretly hoped the pop wouldn't hurt Lex but also wouldn't knock out the piece in his pocket.

"Wait," Chloe pulled Lana back down into the bleacher and held her hand. "Clark and Lex are going to be fine. They have to work this out for themselves." Lana squeezed her hand harder as she saw Clark barely roll over.

Back on the field, Lex rolled over and stretched his back out. Pulling himself up, he saw trainers heading in both their directions and waved them off. He watched as the ball rolled out of Clark's arms, and Clark continued to writhe in pain. Moving toward him, Clark became more erratic and tried to move.

"Be still. What the hell made you turn this into your own personal deathmatch? This is what you get for trying to use a football game to play one-upmanship against me." Lex sat up net Clark, who continued to look as if he was going to vomit.

"Get the fuck away from me." Lex stood up and stared at his once friend. He glanced at the stands and signaled for them to wait as the crowd stood up to see the sight better. "She told you, didn't she?"

"What are you talking about? I put out my hand to help you up and tell me to go away." Clark swallowed again as he took Lex's hand against his own judgment. Standing up, he leaned against Lex as Lex helped him across the field. "Damn," Lex said to himself as something scratched him in the leg. Clark's leg on the same side gave out at the same time.

Lex handed Clark off to his teammates and looked at Clark. Turning back to his side of the field, Clark spoke finding his voice again, "I can't believe you would stoop this low."

Lex looked at him and shook his head, "Once again, I have no idea what you are trying to accuse me of. You want to hear the truth – ok, again, I love her. There's no vendetta against you buried in that. I'm trying Clark. That's it." Lex backed away from the with his hands up as if to show his hand. Turning around, he walked slowly across the field, watching Chloe in the stands as she smiled and slumped back in her seat next to Lana.

Scratching at the side of his leg, he sat down and stuck his hand in his pocket. Pulling the little shard out of his pocket, he noticed the dull green color and turned around and looked at Chloe. He wrapped up in his hand and walked over to the watercooler and palmed the small cup in the same hand and let the cup and rock drop to the bottom of the garbage.

Sitting back down on the bleacher, he eyed Chloe again as she waved furiously. He then looked across as Clark started tossing the ball again. He was fine again. _She told you, didn't she? Told me what? Clark is allergic to meteor rock? _

Lex sat and stared into the distance and realized that he knew the secret now. The one that Clark tried to protect – the times he wouldn't go into labs with Lex. The moments of weakness that possessed him in the middle of nowhere. It all made sense.

The rest of the game went on as Lex stretched out on the bench. Even in his lessened state, Clark still put him on the ground with a direct and painful blow. His back ached but the game was in the fourth quarter now and was tied. "Dude, we kind of need you if you're not in too much pain."

He watched as Andre handed him the flag belt and waited. Lex stretched again and stood up. "I'm game." He followed the rest of the defense out to the field and eyed Clark from across the field. Pointing in his direction, he motioned that he was watching him, this time without an advantage.

Clark headed up the inside of the line and passed the ball as Lex pulled the flag off the receiver. Batting the ball with the other hand, he watched Drew catch the ball and head in the direction of Clark. Taking up the last little bit of energy he had, he followed Drew and caught up with Clark, catching him by the laces.

He watched Clark barrel into the turf and offered his hand to him. "I won't tell. I wish you could have just trusted me enough to tell me but I get it now. "

Clark stood up and looked at Lex. "But why take her advice and play the game like that. Not digging into my personal family life enough for you?"

"Chloe didn't tell me Clark. But 'it' was in the pocket of my shorts. It's at the bottom of the wastebasket now. I think who you need to talk to is Chloe." Clark and Lex stared at each other and then up in the stands. They were gone.

Looking back at each other, they both said it, "Chloe." Running in the direction of the stands, Clark noticed the ambulance had not moved.

"Where do you think?" Clark noticed the other cheerleaders pointing in the direction of the school. "Come on." Lex and Clark signaled for the game to keep going and disappeared into the locker room.

"Chloe?" Lex called coming around the edge of the girl's showers. He saw two pairs of legs under the stall. "Clark, over here." Lex walked around the corner and saw Lana holding Chloe's head. "I'll take it from here. Go find Clark and get him back to the game."

Lana turned and handed the cloth to Lex and walked around the corner and saw Clark. "Come on, we'll let her take some time. Now you have to go win a game."

"No, game' over. Gold team won." Clark could hear the cussing from the field but only worried about Chloe. He watched as Lana and he sat on the bench outside of the bathroom. Lana had no idea what he stared at; she could just assume he was staring into space.

He watched Lex hold Chloe's head and whisper to her. "Chloe, breathe baby. Slow down." He sat back against one side of the bathroom stalls while Chloe tried to compose herself. "What happened?"

"I got overheated and the meds made me sick. I don't think I'm supposed to be in the sun while taking them. I'm sorry." Lex wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. He felt Chloe feel for his sides and pushed her back away.

"I threw it out. It was sticking me in the side and frankly was causing the game to be a little one-sided. Why Chloe?" In another room, Clark turned to hear the conversation as Lana discussed the game with other girls in the locker room now.

Chloe turned stark white and started panting in frustration. "I…I didn't want him…" Chloe collapsed into his arms and cried. "You hate me?"

Lex grabbed Chloe by both arms and pushed her back where he could see her. "No, disappointed. Disappointed in everyone involved. Clark for never feeling he could trust me to keep his secret. I haven't figured it all out yet, but it's not for anyone else to know. Disappointed that you would use me to get back at Clark even if it would keep me out of harm's way. Disappointed in myself for ever giving anyone in this town, including you and Clark, the impression that I was that kind of manipulative jerk." Stopping, he looked at Chloe's face and her panting through her tears. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

Standing up, he exited the stall and looked at her as she continued to cry. "Make up with Clark. You mean a lot more to him than you think." Walking out of the bathroom, he tapped Lana on the shoulder. "She needs you."

Clark caught up with him and tapped him on the shoulder as he exited the back of the gym. "Thanks. For not saying anything to anyone."

"How do you know?" Lex shrugged. Clark wasn't there during the conversation with Chloe.

Clark pointed and pulled on his ear, "I have some other … talents."

Lex stopped and turned and looked at Clark, "You should use that 'talent' for something good someday."

"What about Chloe?"

"You were right, everyone gets hurt with me around, even if it isn't my fault." Lex nodded and turned away, walking toward his car.

"She needs you," Clark hollered.

"She needs you more, make up with her," Lex whispered but he knew that Clark could hear him.

TBC


	12. Game Over

Game Over –

A paper hit the desk of Lex Luthor with a slight slapping noise. Looking up from his computer, he eyed his father in irritation. "What's the meaning of this incredibly usual visit. I have things to do."

Pouring himself a scotch, he sat back down in the chair facing his son and flipped the paper over and pointed out the small box at the bottom of the page. "I see there's an event of importance going on tomorrow. Are you going?"

"Why would I," Lex casually responded without looking up from the computer.

"Maybe because you love her." Lionel sat back in the chair and sipped his drink carefully, as if he was afraid of becoming an alcoholic again. His son responded by saying nothing. "Oh I see, you throw yourself into two marriages and you get cold feet for actually taking a third chance. Very Luthoresque. Son, you let me back in the house, and I've observed something. You haven't as much as picked up the phone to a porn line since getting to really know her."

"Stay out of it dad." Lex shut the computer and walked out of the office. Lionel followed his son down the hall to have the door closed and locked in front of him.

"You're making a mistake. Think about it." Lionel unfolded the small piece of paper from his pocket and slid it under the door. Lionel backed away from the door and watched the small shadow from under the door approach and walk away.

Lex turned and picked up the piece of scrap and stared at it. It was her first interview with him four years ago, the one where she ended up on her back in his flowerbed. She was just a kid then. She was still a kid. Lex popped the lighter and burnt the paper over the sink and ran the ashes down the sink.

Chloe walked into the Torch office and threw down the few boxes that she had found at home. Looking around the office, she couldn't believe that it had come to this. She started sifting through items in the desk drawers and took a big sigh at the mess at the back of drawer. She had almost forgotten about her stash of coffee packets and mints she had used up until the last couple of months. Stuffing the leftovers in the box, she slammed the desk drawer.

"Hey," Clark leaned against the doorway and quietly knocked. Chloe looked up and dumped the contents of the desk organizer in the box. Shoving the tray back in the drawer, she slammed another one.

"Hey," she blandly answered him as she moved to the next drawer. Clark watched as her head seemed to disappear into the depths of the drawer and reappear with more random notepads and computer discs that weren't even used anymore. "I thought you and Lana had already left for the senior party?"

"She's on her way there. I was just coming to …"

"Try to convince me to go?" Chloe looked up and dropped some more junk in the box and then started pulling files out of the cabinet. "No, I really need to get this done, and besides, three's a crowd."

Clark took Chloe's hand and led her over to the couch. "We've talked about this – you should have just made it clear how you felt."

Chloe leaned back in the cushions and looked at Clark. "I know, and after all that happened I'm glad that we worked things out. But you and Lana are happy together, and I'm happy for you. I just don't want to be a third wheel."

"It's a party – we're all friends." Clark watched as Chloe looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath, blinking back the increasing tears.

"I know, but I'm just going to take it easy and finish up here. We have a long day tomorrow and I have to get things ready for the incoming editor. Go enjoy." Chloe sat up and took another deep breath. She turned on the computer and stared at the screen, waiting for the password to come up.

Typing in the password, she watched as Clark made his way out the door. She stopped and waited until she knew he was gone. Opening up the main screen, she looked at the pictures from the senior prom. Chloe wasn't in any of them. She didn't go. But Lana and Clark won as expected. But at least she was able to see them off without remorse for Clark. They were still scarred but not aching after that weekend's conversation.

Chloe didn't speak to Clark at all for the week after the football game. She had passed the writing of the whole incident off to the future editor to avoid reliving the horrid mistakes that she had made that day.

Chloe sat on her bed and continued reading through her last essay of her high school career. She knew it wasn't her best, but she didn't care. Passing was passing, the journalism seminar was already hers, and Metropolis University's scholarship had already been awarded to her. She just had to get out of the Godforsaken town that broke her heart repeatedly.

"Chloe, can you come help me?" Chloe looked up and heard Lana's voice coming from downstairs and heard the front door slam overly hard. The girl has got to learn not carry all the groceries in at once. Chloe leapt off the bed and made her way down the stairs and proceeded to u-turn in the kitchen.

"That kind of sucks as a crying wolf stunt Lana." Chloe turned and started up the stairs and ended up staring straight up at Clark. Leaning in she glared at him, "What the hell Clark, you can't just …" she motioned about his super speed.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. We are way beyond talking." Chloe moved around him on the stairs and felt his hand go out for her.

"Chloe, come down and talk to us." Chloe turned and looked at Lana. Remving Clark's arm from hers, she sat down on the couch next to Lana and fell into the pillows.

"Ok, now what. Another pity the blonde without anyone by telling me how it was so hard for you and Clark to find each other through the last years. Blah, Blah, Blah." Lana sneered confusingly at Clark and waited for him to speak first.

"Lana, could you leave us?" Clark moved to sit on the couch next to Chloe as Lana passed her hand over Chloe's arm in comfort. Chloe glanced up at Lana and then stared back down at the fibers of the couch. She avoided purposely all views of anything that was Clark Kent. She still didn't know whether he was angry, upset, disappointed with her. Clark eyed the door close to Lana's room and looked back at Chloe. "Now, no more avoiding the issue."

Nothing, not a word.

"Ok, I'll talk. Chloe, I was pissed at you, I admit it. You dating Lex hurt because it felt like a personal betrayal. Like you were trying to get back at me for putting you in the position of keeping my secret. I was worried that you would give me up, and I apparently was wrong. You used him against me."

Chloe shot him a glare and beat on the edge of the couch. "No, I didn't use him against you. I saved him. You would have killed him out there on the field. Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore. You somehow were able to save me from that 'evil' too." Chloe slammed her fist into the arm of the couch again thinking of the outcome in the locker room.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I honestly never thought that Lex would take the discovery so casually." Clark sat back and watched Chloe wipe her face on her sleeve and bury her head into the side of the couch. He wanted to reach out to her. He waited a moment listening to the silence between them. He knew she didn't want to hear the name, but she needed to know. "Lana knows. I told her everything."

Chloe didn't look in his direction. She lifted her head and stared into the dining room randomly. "That's great Clark. So now, I seem to have completely been left useless. I went from Girl Friday to nothing." She turned and looked at Clark as he sat back in the couch. "I guess that frees up a lot of my time since I won't be having to hide your disappearing acts."

Clark felt his frustration build and tried to remain calm. "Chloe, that doesn't mean I'll need you any less."

"Need. There's a word."

"You're twisting this all around. I will always need my best friend, my confidant."

"I am your best friend, I always have been." Chloe grabbed a Kleenex off the table and blew her nose and then cried at her ear popping. "That's my point – I've always been your friend."

Clark rubbed his hand against his face in frustration. He knew the line would come up and the question of why he never responded. "Ok, I've had feelings for you. Off and on for years. But you were … hard to read. You never admitted anything about liking me except when we were whacked out on some meteor rock trip and the other times you were married to your work. The only time I missed you and felt we had something to go on, you came back with this great revelation about you and copy boy at the Planet. What did you expect me to do?"

Chloe turned and realized that they had both been in the wrong for a long time. Nodding in agreement. "I guess we both screwed up on that one. If it makes any difference, I said that to hopefully rattle you since you and Lana looked like a thing. Guess it worked a little. I guess I wasn't the only one confused." She looked up at Clark and took a breath.

Clark reached out and took her hand. "Forgive me for being a horse's ass?" Chloe broke a fake smile and pulled her hand from his. "Are we going to be ok?"

"Déjà vu? We've had this conversation so many times." Chloe took a deeper breath and walked into the kitchen to get a drink. Closing the refrigerator door, she looked up at Clark and bit her lip. He suddenly wasn't as attractive or irresistible as she remembered. He was faulted. They all were. "Eventually," she whispered as she headed up the stairs.

Opening up her email at the Torch for the last time before deleting the school account, she noticed an email address she was sure she had lost on purpose.

_Ms. Sullivan, You are kind heart that sometimes gets misguided by the worst in people. Don't let a certain young man's pride end happiness that you most richly deserve. _

Chloe stared at the email address and looked around the newspaper office wary of a sudden figure popping out of the darkness to strangle her. Deleting the email address, she went through the files and wiped her work away one folder at a time.

After a couple of hours, she piled the couple of boxes back on top of each other and kicked them outside of the door as she locked it behind her. Turning around, she noticed the boxes had disappeared behind rich shoes and a trenchcoat. Her breath caught in her throat.

Looking around the boxes, her anticipation gave way for fear. "Mr. Luthor, just because I'm leaving the Torch doesn't mean you can take the computers back again."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Help you to your car?" Chloe felt unnerved walking to her car with Lionel Luthor behind her. She felt as if the devil himself was waiting for her to trip where he could call her death. She popped the trunk and watched as the devil put her things away.

"Ok, out with it." Chloe kept her finger lightly against the alarm button on the remote as she opened her car door.

"Here," Lionel pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "I promise there's no powdery substance or magic dust in there." Chloe sneered at him curiously and opened the yellow envelope. Dumping out the contents, she read the card.

_Happy Graduation Honey – You deserve it! L_

The plane ticket was for first class to New York for her journalism seminar. Chloe looked at Lionel and gripped the plane ticket in her hand. "Why? Graduation is tomorrow."

"He's going to need a little nudge."

"I hate to disappoint you Mr. Luthor but I'm done crawling. I found out it gets you nowhere. I'm packed and am leaving tomorrow evening. Now, I'm not quite sure what your motives are here, but thank you for your help and the envelope, but I need to be going." She looked around the empty parking lot. "Where's your ride?"

"I walked – night air is soothing."

Chloe nodded in appreciation of the statement and closed the door. Lex had spoken about his father's new outlook on life, but she now knew what seeing is believing truly meant. She watched as the man she helped put away a year ago walked away down the driveway, shoving his hands in his pockets and not looking back.

TBC


	13. Throw Out the Playbook

Throw Out the Playbook –

Clark sat and stared at the wall in front of him. Six months had passed. He and Lana still kept in touch, but things were different in Kansas now. The Jayhawks were the up and coming team without a quarterback. Clark had received the call a few hours earlier – he was going to picked up for full scholarship where the team had a prayer against their rivals. Still, Clark stared at the picture on the desk and wondered what had happened to keep him from enjoying the moment.

Flipping through his calendar, Lex wrote in the next meeting of the company's advising team. The last six months had gone by in a flash. The mansion was all but empty of a few large furnishing pieces. The penthouse was his comfort zone now.

He picked up his tumbler and sat comfortably on the leather couch and flipped on the evening news. Metropolis had much more going for it than Smallville ever did. He threw his feet up on the living room table and slunk further back into the couch.

"Sir, this just came for you," Robert quietly announced as he handed the envelope to Lex. Lex stared at the address and smiled. He had actually begun talking to Clark again about a month earlier.

The conversation had started out about a journalism class and went into politics. Lex had been impressed that Clark had actually become fantastically worldly once he escaped from Smallville. With apprehension, he had also asked about Lana and Chloe.

Clark explained that Lana enjoyed her small town life and continued to fight to keep the Talon open even now that Lex had sold his half away. He had offered to buy the whole thing out from under her and give it to her, but she wanted to fight for it just the same.

Chloe was a different story. No one had heard from her since her first class plane ticket landed her in New York. Gabe moved shortly after she left, but he had left no forwarding address. It was for the best, Lex repeated to himself mentally. He knew that he easily could have her tailed, but she was too smart and would have had his head. He had flings before; he had women take him and leave him. He would survive without her.

Taking a large sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back into the couch, staring at the envelope. "Hey."

Opening his eyes, he blew the long sandy blonde hair dangling above his face out of the way. He smiled and then ripped the envelope open.

"Are you coming?" Lex looked up at the woman and casually rubbed his hand along her arm.

"I'm tired tonight – go on without me." He kissed her cheek lightly and watched as the woman in the red dress exit his living room. Grace was kind enough, gentle enough, and strangely familiar to him. But she knew he was holding back – Lex himself knew he was holding back. It wasn't like getting back on the horse like before. Banging useless women night after night didn't appeal to him anymore.

Grace was a small gem he found delivering coffee to the first floor computer transcriptionists for the corporation. She had personality and poise. She wasn't like the other women and quickly would dive away from cameras when with Lex. He enjoyed her quiet, unassuming side, but it always saddened him. She was closer to his age and was somewhat cultured. He took one last glance as the last bit of material flowed around the corner and looked back at the envelope.

_If you can make it, I'm starting against K State. Scared to death. Clark. _

Lex pulled the single ticket out of the envelope and laughed. "Sure, what's one more football game."

"God, I forgot how evil winter was back here in Kansas." Chloe leaned over and hugged Lana tightly and sat down next to her in the stadium. "So, have you caught Clark warming up?"

Lana pointed at the speck on the stadium and smiled. "Yeah, he's number 12. His throwing his pretty good, although he seems to overthrow a little if you know what I mean." Chloe smiled to herself knowing it was his nervousness overcompensating. "Oh, Chloe, this is Mark and Denise. Denise is Clark's new girlfriend, and I've told you about Mark."

Chloe leaned over and shook the hands of the two newcomers. "Nice to meet you and to finally put a face with the name. Mark, Lana talks about you all the time. I'm so glad to hear that you got her to come to her senses and settle down and hire some help for the Talon."

Chloe genuinely smiled at the two and then around the stadium. Looking up to her side, she saw a man in jeans sit down beside her and another woman kneel next to him. "Chloe, I hear and see that New York is treating you well. Congrats on the NYU scholarship. You have really made a name for yourself outside of Smallville." Chloe grinned from ear to ear and hugged the man next to her ferociously.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I think Clark will soon make his own name for himself. How are you guys?"

"Nervous," Martha dropped as she shivered in the snow that had started to fall. "Jonathon, the kickoff." Jonathon looked up briefly and saw the teams lining up on either side of the field and saw Clark getting a couple last practice passes off. "We're in the parent section if you guys need anything. Good to see you again Chloe."

Chloe watched the game and briefly glanced over in Lana's direction. Lana finally looked happy and not the least bit unnerved by Denise. The two laughed and screamed as Clark scored a run in touchdown himself and pointed back to the stands where everyone was sitting.

"So, you really don't miss all of this?"

Chloe looked over at Lana whose arm was intertwined with her new handsome man. "Honestly, no. School is challenging, work is fulfilling, and dating is palpable."

Lana curled her lip and squinted in confusion. "Sounds like one thing could improve."

"No, I'm truly happy with where everything is falling right now. My career is important to me." Chloe smiled at Lana and then looked back at the game.

Lana looked past Chloe at the empty seat and wondered if he would show. Clark and Lana had discussed the idea, but Clark had warned against the meeting since Lex was involved. "Mark, come with me – I want to get a couple drinks." Mark smiled at Chloe and helped Lana out of the tight seat.

"Chloe, you need anything?"

"Coke would be great, unless you need me to come with."

"No, we're good – enjoy the game. Besides, Denise needs to be watched – she's not going to have any fingernails by the time the game is over." Chloe looked over at Denise who was wringing her hands together nervously. She obviously had not been let in on Clark's secret. Chloe wondered if he would ever meet anyone who he could tell himself. From what she understood from Clark's brief conversations, Lex had even refused to ask of such things.

"Clark will do a great job. He rarely gets injured."

Denise looked nervously at Chloe and sat on her own hands. "I know. Clark is trying to break my habit – he says he'll be fine, but this is first major game – he usually just sits on the bench. So, I'm a little nervous."

Chloe wrapped her arms around the new flame for Clark. Talking to her a little longer brought about the young woman's background. From Piedmont, she had been her school's salutatorian. Majoring in chemical engineering, she had been Clark's lab partner the first few weeks in their chemistry class. Her brown hair was reminiscent of another brunette but the small bob cut was simple and her dress was understated.

"Thanks Chloe. Clark was right – he has the best friends in the world." Denise patted Chloe on the glove-covered hand and turned back to the game.

Lana waited in line with her arm wrapped around Mark and watched as the people in bright blue and purple walk back and forth through the tunnel searching for bathrooms and food. Doing a double take, she watched as a handsome bald man walked around the corner of the stairway and dropped his phone into his pocket. Flipping the ticket around in his fingers, he eyed the numbers written on the concrete.

"You know I would have thought that you would have at least tried to upgrade your ticket to a comfy box seat somewhere," Lana halfway hollered in the direction of the man.

Looking over, halfway laughed and embraced Lana carefully seeing the man she was with. "I thought about it, but I thought Clark had gone to the trouble."

"Well, you and I both know Clark deserved to go to some trouble. Hey, this is Mark, my boyfriend and the new Talon manager. I started community college and left him in charge."

Mark looked over the man that came eye to eye with him. "The great Lex Luthor, I would shake your hand, but obviously," Mark answered while readjusting his grip on everything ordered.

"Here," Lex took one drink from his grip and nodded in acknowledgement of their meeting. "Are we going the same way?"

"Yeah, Clark got us all seats together, but, "Lana looked around slightly confused, "you're alone."

"Yeah, let's just say that ship sailed to Milan last weekend." Lana watched Lex's eyes drop and quickly meet back with hers.

"So this way then." Lana motioned Lex first as they descended the stairs. She stopped halfway down noticing that Lex was walking at a faster pace than Mark could keep up with. "Stop here," she said as she grabbed Mark's sleeve, nearly causing him to drop their drinks. "Come back up in the tunnel with me."

Lana turned around and watched as Lex continued down the stairs.

Lex turned and glanced up behind him as Lana and Mark disappeared among the other football patrons during halftime. Looking down at the drink in his hand, he counted the remainder of the rows and stopped. The blonde with hair beyond her shoulders sat bundled in a dark green overcoat next to what looked like Clark's new girlfriend. Lex squeezed his forehead in frustration and sighed. Continuing down the stairs, he sat quietly in the end seat while the two women continued to talk.

"Hey, I have to go check in with the Kents. I'll be back in a bit before the third quarter." Denise smiled at Chloe and then fought her way through the people to make it out of the row.

Chloe watched to make sure she didn't fall and giggled at her small stumble at the end of the row. Denise and Clark would make the perfect couple; they both were clumsy. Nodding her head, Chloe looked back at the field to watch the band. They were all the same; sounded just like high school bands.

"This is yours I suppose." Lex slid the drink in the cup holder next to Chloe and quickly retreated back into his seat. He sat silently with his hands buried in the pockets of his trench coat wrapped around him.

Chloe glanced over and then stared at the drink sitting next to her. "Thanks, " she quietly responded. Staring blankly ahead, Chloe continued. "Grace is unusually fresh breeze for you."

She heard Lex sigh slightly and scoff. "That breeze as you call it is in Milan."

"Fashion Week?" Chloe and Lex continued to stare straight forward as if the field was so important not to miss something.

"She got a job there." Lex glanced over in Chloe's direction but she never returned the glance.

The two sat silently through the remainder of the halftime, never meeting each other's glances. Mark, Lana, and Denise finally returned after what felt like an eternity and say down in their original seats. "Thanks for the drink Lana, " Chloe dropped casually.

Lana sat with her arm around Mark and continued glancing in Chloe's direction nodding for her to make some kind of move. Lex looked continuously tense but cheered silently as Clark moved the ball down in the field through the third quarter.

Sitting sideways with her back to Lex became uncomfortable quickly. Adjusting her feet under her, she tried to move her leg and noticed her knee popped painfully. Grabbing the armrest of the seat, she felt the warmth of the hand on the rest and quickly let go, falling forward.

"Are you ok?" Chloe glanced over and saw the arm that caught her mid dive into the row in front of her. Removing her other foot from under her seat, she sat correctly in the seat as Lex let go of her and sat back in his seat. "Chloe?"

Glancing over at him, Chloe raised her chin to him and put on her brave face. "I'm fine. Thanks. Really." Chloe looked back at Lana and sneered. The remainder of the game Chloe sat in pain from the odd pop in her knee, but briefly smile in Lex's direction to continue the show.

The game slowed up as Kansas handily had Kansas State on the run. Clark had definitely done his job in his debut and would most likely be playing the starting position for many games to come. Chloe continued to cheer him on with the rest of his friends.

Lex watched as she would lean over and talk to Lana and Denise. He would close his eyes at times just recording the voice to his memory. Feeling the pressure of the fourth quarter clock counting down to the final minute of the game, he glanced over Chloe's shoulder and looked at Lana.

"Mark, let's get down there with his folks where we can get to see him." Lana grabbed Mark and Denise and started out of the aisle. Chloe got up and grabbed her cup, feeling a hand grip around her wrist.

Looking back, Chloe took a deep breath. "Chloe, this is stupid. Talk to me."

Chloe looked down at his hand and pulled away. Taking her cup, she slid past Lex and into the aisle. She felt the warmth of his body as she swept by him and a tingle went through her body. She had moved to New York to avoid this. The city there was big enough to avoid this; she had tried to honestly move on.

To his credit, he had let her. Chloe knew that he could have had her followed. Luthorcorp had on an office a block from her work. She could see in the windows from her floor. But in six months he had not tried once. She had admired him silently for six months for that. He had finally learned to let go, or so she thought.

Chloe glanced back and watched as Lex readjusted his coat and clapped for the end of the game. Taking a deep breath, she cussed herself out silently and watched as people started filling the aisle. "Dammit, come on before the aisle fills up."

Lex looked up behind him at Chloe's outstretched hand. Taking her hand, he excused himself around the people that stared at the young billionaire winding his way through the crowd following the perky blonde.

Denise flew into Clark's arms as he twirled her around. "You were great honey."

Lana stood back and took a deep breath seeing Clark happy with his new love.

"The game was great Clark. Congrats on player of the game." Clark hugged Lana and looked around as he shook his father's hand.

"Where's Chloe? I thought she was coming?" Lana looked up in the stands and saw their seats empty. She watched Clark squint and then shake his head. "I guess she had someone else to catch up with." Pointing up to the top of the entrance, Lana could barely make out her figure making a corner with a man that was unmistakably Lex.

Chloe walked briskly through the tunnels surrounding the stadium with Lex halfway in tow. Catching up to her, he intertwined his fingers in her as she squared up her shoulders and paced faster. He kept in constant time with her until they got out to the parking lot and the crowds thinned.

"It'll take us forever to get out of this mess," Chloe absently announced as she undid her fingers from his and clicked her rental car unlocked. Tossing her bag in the back, she sat in the driver's seat and started the car. She sat silently in the car and wondered if the figure on the passenger side was gong to get in the car or walk away.

Lex stood next to the car and closed his eyes. He had prolonged this moment for six months. He knew which window in the New York News building was hers. He had made four trips to New York specifically to see her, to win her back. They had all failed miserably. His nerve gave out. He had come close he remembered; he had stood in the newsroom and watched her type at her desk before letting the elevator close and take him back downstairs and to his office. The office directly across from her news desk.

Lex took the handle of the car door and slowly opened the door. Sitting down in the passenger seat, he looked blankly ahead and waited for what Chloe would say. 'Get out,' came to his mind, but all he heard was silence. He silently prayed for a word, a touch, anything.

"Go." Chloe spoke frankly and looked directly at Lex. Lex turned and stared at the young woman that had grown up so quickly over the last six months. He suddenly felt he was behind. Staring into her eyes, he felt his chest tighten and his head ache. "Well? You said I was stupid. I took the bait. So here we are. Now, go."

Lex turned and took her hand in his hand. Rubbing his thumb up and down the back of her hand. "I miss you." Chloe nodded but no other reaction. Lex waited to see if she said anything else.

Trying again, he guided his hand up her arm, caressing her shoulder. Chloe shuddered slightly as the touch became lighter and yet more intense. She could feel her heart race and glanced down to see if her heart had pumped itself out her chest. Swallowing, she held her composure, looking directly at him.

"Chloe, I still love you. And I have no idea anymore who was at fault and don't care." Lex rubbed the back of his hand along Chloe's cheek. Taking the back of her neck gently in his hand, he pulled her into him.

Before their lips met, Chloe broke her silence. "Did you sleep with her?"

Lex let go of Chloe and sat back in the seat. Looking her face to face, he couldn't lie to her. He wanted her and he would have to be straight with her even if he lost her forever.

"Yes."

Chloe choked and coughed at the response. Lex gently rubbed her back and waited for her to push him away, but she didn't. She leaned into his hand momentarily. "Do you love her?"

"Never," Lex somberly answered looking straight forward. "It's always been you," Lex answered and looked at her.

"I'm so sorry," Chloe grabbed her head anguish and collapsed across the seat into Lex's chest, sobbing. Lex wrapped both arms around her back and kissed the top of her head. Leaning into her, he whispered in her ear.

"Your turn."

Chloe sat up and wiped her face with the Kleenex that Lex had pulled from the glove compartment. Chloe stared at Lex as her bottom lip and chin quivered in reaction to his sudden calmness. She could feel his hand on her arm but knew it easily could be on the door. "Well?"

Chloe sat up and stared at Lex silently for more than minute wondering if she never said anything how long she could hold onto the moment. Lex's eyes dropped to the floor as he straightened up in his seat. Putting his hands in his lap, he watched the last few cars start up around them and knew it was time to go.

"Goodbye Chloe," he touched her hand and felt her other hand hold his down.

Barely audible, Chloe whispered, "Don't do this again Lex. I love you. Stay."


	14. Postgame

A/N - Ok, I thought I would finish this but my brain went somewhere else

A/N - Ok, I thought I would finish this but my brain went somewhere else. I'm not going to beat a dead horse like the show and talk about feelings over and over. But this is going to end in the next update, which shouldn't be too far behind this one. If you have left feedback, I love ya'll! If you haven't, please do - it makes me want to write more.

Postgame –

The two sat and stared straight out the window as the last few fans poured out of the stadium. Lex never moved his hand. Sitting dead still, he concentrated on her touch and hoped she would never let go. After thrusting himself into the situation he knew would occur, he didn't want to leave. He knew in his heart the game had been a set up from the beginning but was so sure after his time with Grace, he could move on. The longer he sat there with her though, the harder it was to let go.

Chloe's voice cracked but her hand never wavered. "Where should we go?" She looked over at Lex and carefully blinked back the tears collecting in her eyes. Breathing difficultly, she waited for Lex's response and possibly his leaving.

Lex turned to meet her face and squeezed her fingers into his. Still with no emotion creeping across his face, he reassured her, "I need to go." Lex swallowed and paused as he watched Chloe's face drift from his eyes to the floor. Feeling her hand jerk away to the ignition, he quickly continued, "But please come by the penthouse before going back to campus. I just have some things that can't wait."

Chloe continued fidgeting with the key waiting to turn it and dart out of the parking lot as soon as Lex left the car. She was embarrassed and confused. Her feelings were twisted and warped. She couldn't believe that Lex had just once again found a way to make this all her fault. "I have a lot of work before next week's midterms." She needed a way out.

Lex pulled his phone out and looked out the passenger window as he dialed. He ached feeling her rattle the keys between her fingers. For two months, he had been passively happy, not ecstatic. Love was there, or so he thought. But Grace could have turned out like all the rest. He still craved for that something more. Glancing over at her, he could see the wells finally ready to drop from her eyelids. "Robert, take the car back and I will call you when I'm on my way in. And take care of all the miscellaneous items tonight."

Lex absently glanced over at Chloe as he dropped the last line. Robert knew exactly what Lex meant; he hoped Chloe wouldn't catch the reasoning for the order. Hanging up the phone, he carefully tucked it in his jacket pocket and fastened his seatbelt. Laying his hands delicately in his lap, he turned to Chloe. "Ok, your call."

Chloe turned back and started the car engine. Silently, she pulled out of the parking space and headed down the highway at random. She could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest as she visibly shook driving. Her memories of the two of them were crashing around her as words of love and angst dripped into her memory. Glancing over to the passenger seat, she took another breath.

"Chloe, you have to calm down. Pull over and let me drive if you need to." Lex rubbed his hand down her shoulder and squeezed her neck gently in order to comfort her some. All the while comforting her, Lex wondered exactly where this would all lead to. He wondered if he had made the right decision. He had never been very good in relationships, at least all breaking up. He must have changed since he actually felt somewhat guilty about leaving Robert in charge of getting Grace's things out of the house. Sadly, though, Lex felt nothing of the loss. Looking over at Chloe while continuing to comfort her, he had more remorse for the relationship that had to be put back together like a broken heirloom.

"How about there? I'm not really in the mood to go back to either one of our places to fight it out. I would hate to have that stigma either in my living room or yours." Chloe's voice had cleared and was not shaking as much as before. But the word fight caught his ear; this is not what he expected.

"Fine." Chloe nodded in agreement and pulled into the hotel valet. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she waited for the doorman to get to the door. She fought through her purse to pull out a tip, but Lex kindly beat her to it. The valet's face lit up at the obvious overly paid tip and quickly made off with the car. Smiling down at Chloe, he placed his hand in the small of her back and felt her slight jump at his sudden move. "Ok?"

Chloe looked up in his blue eyes and nearly fainted. Her heart was too heavy to let her body leave the ground. "Yeah, just startled." She regained her composure and walked toward the check in desk.

"Mr. Luthor, what a pleasure to see again," the man behind the elegant marble check in desk said with a positive tone. Chloe couldn't decide whether the man knowing Lex was a good sign as he kept up with the news or that Lex had been in the same hotel one too many times.

"Mr. Thames, I am hoping that you have something available to my liking." The man behind the counter that apparently was someone that Lex knew went flipping through several books and clicked the computer keys several times.

"Yes sir." The man handed Lex a card, which Chloe watched Lex simply initial and hand back to the man. "Yes, we have the tower two double penthouse available. I'm sure that might be to your liking although the floor is quite expansive." Lex took the key card and nodded at the man.

"Mr. Thames, you never disappoint. Thank you. There will be a late check out and absolutely no visitors." Chloe watched Lex play the buisness card with such perfect unaired arrogance she couldn't help but smile. She loved this about him. Lex was able to turn on a dime. Sometimes that was a bad thing. She realized that Lex's ability of switching from a relaxed, thoughtful lover to a shrewd businessman so quickly could spell bad news if they ever fought. But their passions for the upper hand made them the perfect couple and the perfect enemies.

Lex looked back at Chloe standing in the middle of the elegantly decorated atrium, he waited. "Mr. Luthor, you have the room as long to your liking without interruptions. Breakfast will be served to the floor's hallway elevator promptly at 6 as always." Lex nodded and turned to look at Chloe.

Guiding her to an elevator around the corner from the throng of elevators, he pressed the button and waited silently in the hallway. Chloe stood holding her purse and closed her eyes in anticipation of what she had set up. Getting on the elevator, the two stood across from each other and stared at each other.

"You know this hotel?"

"Yes."

The two remained silent as the doors opened to a fantastic room with what Chloe could see was two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and small kitchen. She pulled her jacket off and laid it over the side of the couch as she drug her fingers along the top of the marble countertop bar and tinkered on the piano keys. "How?"

Lex set his coat on top of hers and watched as she marveled at the room. The place was more like an apartment and as much for one night as Chloe's tuition. But she had wanted something away from the privacies of their places and somewhere she never had to return to. This was it. "How what?"

Chloe turned and looked at Lex accusingly. "How did you know the man at the front desk and how did he know of your preferences. Please don't tell me that I just picked one of your regular rendezvous for you and your former you know." Chloe trailed off trying not to picture what could have possibly been done on the different pieces of furniture in the room.

Lex internalized the accusatory question and moved closer to Chloe. "Let me reassure that I have not done anything in this room but sleep and work." He paused. "And maybe play the piano drunk."

He watched as a smile crept across Chloe's face at the last remark and he placed both hands on her arms. "Truth?" She almost pouted at the question of his seriousness.

Squeezing her arms a little tighter, he closed his eyes at his lip quivering, "Truth." Letting go, Lex walked over to the bar and opened the fridge to reveal a bottle of wine. "Shall we celebrate the superkid's debut?"

Chloe covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Crap, I forgot all about him." She started pacing the living room and wondered if she should call him. Lex watched with slight amusement as he sauntered across the room to her.

"Here," he stated as he handed her a glass, "drink this, calm down, and call him tomorrow. I'm sure he'll understand. Besides, he's probably celebrating with his new girlfriend and his folks." Lex hunkered into the couch and tossed the extra pillows aside. "Now, we have some things we need to take care of."

Chloe stared at him across the room and moved toward the couch and threw back the contents of the glass. "I'm going to need more of that for this conversation." Flopping into the cushions, she threw her shoes off and leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. "I wonder why they ever take the time to decorate the ceiling. It's not like people are actually looking up there all the time, unless you're bored."

Lex handed her glass to her and stared at the ceiling. "Or trying to avoid something." Chloe turned her head and saw Lex staring right at her. Still holding her glass, she sat up and swigged another glass back as Lex finished his first. Taking the glass from her, he sat both on the table. "I think that's enough for now."

The two sat in silence staring at the bottle for more minutes than Chloe could comprehend. Her body quivered in nervousness. She didn't know how to start. She couldn't remember the reason they were here. She hadn't dated anyone since Lex. She couldn't get rid of his grip even if he had freely let go of her. The agony of possibly not being able to return to the way it was too much for her to continue. Lois, Clark, even new friends at school had tried blind dates, but this scene played repeatedly over in her mind.

"Chloe?"

Snapping out of her daze, she halfway smiled at him and leaned over to his shoulder. It was warm and oddly comforting. Closing her eyes, she didn't want to talk. Just leave her this way. Lex looked down and saw her eyes close, and pulled her into his arm. "Lex, how did we get here?"

"We were stubborn." Lex couldn't think of a more rosy term for their actions. He had been as much to blame as she had been. "And something about a jealous superfreak, but I digress."

Chloe sighed and kept her eyes closed, burying herself further in his arms. "I know. Clark and I have talked. That was stupid thing I did. But you left me."

"I know, but I wasn't going to win any arguments with you then." Chloe sat up and looked at him.

"And now?"

Sitting up next to her, Lex laid his hand on top of hers, barely running his thumb across her knee. "It's in the past. It was damn foolish and it's over."

"And how about Grace? I mean you are in great relationship right now, or at least that's what the papers state. Lex is finally stable."

Lex got up and walked around the sofa, spinning casually on the piano bench. "Grace is … gone. Come here."

Chloe leaned over the side of the couch as Lex started tinkering on the piano in the room. Chloe couldn't move from her vantage point. Watching Lex play was as close to a sensual act as she had experienced since their last time together. She could feel her body shake slightly as he hummed along with the notes he hit. She smiled at him when he looked at her. "What?"

"Come here," he repeated as he stopped playing. Chloe got up from the couch and straddled the piano bench. Lex moved back and pushed her hair out of her face. "I thought we were going to fight."

"I'm too tired to fight tonight, or any night."

"So where does this leave us?" Lex stared at her green eyes and nearly felt his heart hit the back of his throat. Nervousness was not becoming of him and yet he felt unafraid of Chloe seeing the uneasiness. Cupping Chloe's chin, he moved closer to her, enough to feel her breath heavy on his face. "I want to start over, from the day in your office." Chloe looked confused and then her eyes widened.

"I haven't since…" Her words sunk into the depths of Lex's mouth. Opening her lips to let him in, she felt his hand reach around her neck and pull her further in. Matching his pull, she caressed his face as the kiss deepened. Moving his hands down her body, he slid her gently across the bench and wrapped her legs around his body and carefully lifted her up.

Chloe couldn't concentrate on Lex's movements. His taste was what she remembered. He was sweet with just a touch of leftover alcohol staining the very back of his jaw. She shivered in his arms as she hit the edge of the couch and felt him run his tongue along the roof of her mouth. Whimpering, she felt his body cover hers on the length of the couch and leaned her head further back.

Lex took shallow breaths without letting his lips part from Chloe. Desperately and secretly, he was afraid that the moment he let himself part from her, she would leave. He knew nothing had been resolved, but stupidity was something the two would just have to work on. He guided her hand down his face to his heart where she could feel her effect on him. His heart shook the folds of his finely sewn shirt.

Feeling her hand against his chest, he took another deep breath and deepened the kiss once more until he felt her push against him once more. Pulling out of the kiss, he balanced above her and stared down at the woman he had tried to replace with his first blonde bimbo. "Lex, a breath."

Chloe panted as she continued running her hands up and down his face and chest. "Sorry. I just missed you."

Chloe stopped and undid one button on his shirt and touched his fiery hot skin and closed her eyes. "I know I'm going to regret this, but I want to sleep on this, separately." Lex stared at her and sat up.

"We're both tired and drained." Chloe nodded and poured one more glass of wine for both of them. Handing the glass to Lex, she smiled.

"To …to be continued…"

Lex partly laughed and smiled for it seemed the first time since the football game. "My turn. To Chloe, the one who broke me."

Chloe looked at him questioningly.

"You took a man who said he could never love and screwed that demon all to hell. I love you Chloe." He waited and no response. He was strangely ok with her lack of response. He wanted nothing forced and her response in the car seemed that, almost desperate.

Leaning back into the couch, he once again felt her body curl up in his arms as she sighed and kissed him on the cheek. He would keep her this time, and they would be happy. There was only one option. Leaning over to look at her once more, he watched her body rise and fall in a quiet pattern.

Slipping his arms around her, he walked to the master bedroom and carefully pulled the covers back while still holding her. He laid her gently down and combed her hair out of her face. "Goodnight honey." He pulled the covers over her and kissed her cheek.

Stopping at the door, he watched as she turned over and pulled the covers up around her. He closed the door and went to bed in the other room.

TBC


	15. Play of the Game

Play of the Game – Last Chapter

Chloe stirred and looked around the room. She briefly couldn't remember where she was at and what happened. Then it hit her. She had told Lex she had to 'sleep' on it, and she actually had fallen asleep in his arms. Turning over, she noticed the empty side of the bed and suddenly fell sad.

He had respected her wishes and had gone to bed alone. Squinting, Chloe looked around and plodded into the bathroom and turned on the light. After splashing her face with some water, she glanced out at the clock in the living room. It was a little after four, and she wasn't sure what the plans for the morning held for Lex. She knew eventually she would have to go back to school. But things had to be settled.

Looking at her face, she pinched her cheeks a couple of times and cleaned up her fading makeup. If he really loves me, he won't care. Stepping out of her clothes, she wrapped up in the courtesy robe and plodded back into the living room.

She quietly tiptoed to the other bedroom door and poked her head in. From the small stream of light from the bathroom, she could see him sleeping on his stomach, his face turned away from the door. She pushed the door open slightly more and proceeded to close it back behind her. Hearing the click of the knob, she stopped and waited to see if he would stir.

She sat in the chair across the room and watched the moonlight from the open window gently light his face up, barely able to make out his features. He was strangely peaceful, for the first time in a long time she predicted. Holding the pillow in his arms, he naturally had his head propped up some and was breathing slowly. Chloe watched his back rise and fall gently, carefully inspecting his back for the not so tanned skin that was not covered up. The sheet carefully tucked around his hips, Chloe wondered if he was wearing anything at all.

She sat and thought about what she had done to him, to Clark, to everyone. She wanted to giggle when she thought back so many months ago when the whole debacle had started from a simple volunteer football game. At first, she was just happy someone wanted to pay her some attention but it had become so much more. She had developed real feelings for the man, not a boy. Infatuation had never been a question in the relationship. Ex had never made her feel like anything less than his one true love. Chloe wrapped up feeling the goosebumps that rose all over her body thinking of the first time he had told he loved her. Taking a deep breath, she whispered to herself, "Ok Chloe."

Chloe tiptoed over to the empty side of the bed and lifted the sheets. It was confirmed; the man was naked. Taking a deep breath, she dropped the robe to the floor before getting under the covers on the empty side of the bed. Feeling his slight shift, she froze and watched as Lex turned on his side, still not facing her.

She moved closer, careful not to brush her cold feet near him. Lifting the sheet over her arm, she slid her arm under his and around his chest. He was so perfectly built. He had never let anything go when things got stressful. He actually looked better the worse his life seemed to get. Maybe the exercise was stress relief. She scooted in and gently kissed his shoulder blade before burrowing under the sheets to go to sleep. She would be just happy waking with him in a few short hours.

Chloe felt his hand take hers and press it against his chest before intertwining her fingers in his. Catching her breath, she consciously took longer, deeper breaths to pretend that she was asleep. "I guess you made your decision."

Lex took her hand and kissed the top of it before turning into his back while still wrapped in her arm. Lying on his back, Lex turned and looked at her. His blue eyes cooled to a steel gray in the dim moonlight. He still clutched her hand and placed it on his bare chest over his heart.

Chloe could feel his heart race faster even as he tried to slow his breathing and hide it. Lex raised his other arm and drew her into him, draping her equally naked body over his. He closed his eyes briefly feeling her taught nipples graze his bare chest and then jumped as she moved one leg in between his. "Your feet are cold."

"Marble floors are cold," she whispered. She felt Lex chuckle slightly to himself. Chloe swallowed and pasted a smile on just in case he could see her in the dim light. She slid her other leg closer to his to collect on his warmth although she wondered how much more time she would need his body heat. She was starting to make some of her own.

The two closed their eyes and laid in each other's arms for what Chloe could only imagine was next to forever. They were both still stubborn, waiting each out for who would make the first move. He had truly left the ball in her court at the last conversation. He had said his peace and wanted her to make the decision. Opening her eyes, she flinched when hers met his. A soft smile came across his face as he closed his eyes again. Chloe swallowed and choked up the courage. "I love you, and I don't know if this will ever work like the fairy tale my dad said would someday happen to his little princess, but I want this. This is my fairy tale, although it seems more like a twisted story for ESPN…I just…"

Lex pinched lips gently together with his fingers. Chloe stopped and looked up at him. "I love you too Chloe – I never stopped. And I will do everything in my power to make this your fairytale." Lex paused as he continued trailing his fingers along the side of face and her lips. "Of course, you're going to have to settle for being treated like a queen because you are too dignified to be a princess."

Rotating the arm wrapped around her, Lex moved Chloe on top of him, straddling one leg but enough to feel her growing heat forming against the top of his thigh. Leaning forward, Lex took her behind the head and pulled her up his body to meet her lips.

Chloe opened her mouth, feeling his tongue slide in and lick the roof of her mouth. He knew that always got her. The kiss deepened and she returned the gesture around the inside of his lips.

Chloe raked her fingers down his chest and stomach until she met his now hardened cock. Wrapping her fingers around it, she gently swept one finger over the already mildly dripping tip and wiped it down the side of the shaft. She felt Lex's body start to rise and fall with every movement of her hand gliding over the shaft.

Puling out of the continuous kiss, she watched his head collapse into the pillow and listened to the small uncontrollable moan that escaped him. She felt his fall from her back and grab the pillow above his head.

Smiling at her luck she ran her hands carefully down the inside of his arms, seeing his whole body flinch as her fingers caressed down his sides. Lex grabbed her with his hands around the waist and started to move her over him. "No, behind your head. Remember I'm the queen now." Pushing the sheet back, Chloe sat up, straddled over his thigh.

"Oh Chloe," he sighed reaching out for breasts. She was going to force his hands back but whimpered when teased her nipples slightly and felt her jump momentarily. "God Lex, you have to stop."

Still squeezing her nipples between his fingers, he massaged both breasts in his hands watching her pleading. "Why honey?"

"Because," she stated as she composed herself and placed his hands behind his head. "Where I can do this." Lex conceded and watched Chloe disappear under the sheet and closed his eyes.

He could feel her fingers like fire grazing up and down the inside of his legs, carefully swirling around the sensitive area that grew harder and more painful every moment. Spreading his legs, he felt her body slink to the end of the bed and followed every step of her movements.

Lex gasped when Chloe grabbed his cock again suddenly. She had been teasing into a false sense of security that he would know when it was coming.

Chloe stroked his cock with the same matching motion as Lex snak and thrust on the mattress. Taking her other hand, she massaged his sack and stroked the tight skin right behind them. Feeling the sensitive motion behind his sack, Lex's hips jumped. "Shit Chloe, what the hell."

Chloe felt his hand move down and touch her. She took his hand and thrust it back over the sheet. "Put that back where I told you." She continued to tease him as his motions became more fluid. Shoving two fingers inside herself she swirled them around in her wetness and coated his shaft in her juices as Lex continued to moan.

Gripping his cock she carefully slid her wet hand back and forth over his cock while raking her fingers down his thigh. She licked her lips and closed her eyes and swept her tongue across the head. She swallowed the bit of juices dripping from him and then took his length in.

Lex's body convulsed at the sudden change of routine and he moaned, trying desperately not to reach out and grab her. IN the back of his mind he knew she wanted to return on her own terms. And as much as he was usually in charge, he honestly didn't mind taking a backseat to control for this.

Chloe continued to set the pace by massaging his sack while twisting her hand slightly along the base of the shaft and sucking the other. Jumping again, he halfway got her name out as she sucked only the tip, bringing all the blood to the point. "Fuck Chloe, I'm going to come." He gasped another half empty breath and moaned what she thought was the word honey.

Sitting up, Chloe didn't release her hand from his shaft, but continued her pulsations as she put his legs together and stradled him. Leaning one hand on his shoulder, she locked eyes with him while she licked her lips.

"Lex, you look a little worn. Are you ok?" Lex stared at her and couldn't come up for words. She continued feeling his cock rise and fall in her grip at an increased pace. Taking her hand from his cock, she shored up on her knees as Le took both of her hands and balanced her.

"Oh baby. God, you're wet Chloe," he gasped as she slid down onto his shaft and begin to ride out his motions. He continued to hold her hands and then moved his hands down to her sides. Taking her hips, he pressed her further down on his cock as his body moved up into her.

"Oh fuck Lex," she screamed grabbing the bed sheets on both sides and throwing her head back. Looking back at him, she locked his gaze as her cries of ecstasy continued to mount and match his heavy breathing.

Lex gripped her hips tighter and forced her down on him on last time before screaming out her name and convulsing with his hips off the mattress, complete with Chloe locked to him.

"Oh God. Oh Fuck baby, I'm going to come Lex."

Moving her faster up and down, pulsating into her repeatedly, he jammed what was left of his erection against her until he felt her shake uncontrollably. "Come Chloe, come for me honey."

Letting out a high pitched whimper, she pushed several more times down on his still surprisingly hard cock and screamed his name as he gripped her hands. Collapsing on his chest, she almost slid off from the amount of sweat the tow had produced during the act.

Balancing above him, Chloe finally opened her eyes and looked at Lex. He ran his hand through her now sweaty hair. "You ok?"

Through the pants, Chloe couldn't find the words but shook her head yes. She carefully rolled off him and laid next to his glistening body. She ran her fingers through the small pools of sweat that had now formed in the indentions of his abs. "I've been waiting for that for so long."

Lex turned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean after my accident, we couldn't exactly. And then what we don't need to mention put some more time between us." She stopped and laced her fingers in his. "It's been too long."

"Agreed." Lex turned and kissed her lips, softly this time. "It'll never be that long again."

"I have school to finish though," Chloe absently said thinking of what would again be the practical thing that would keep them apart.

"I understand." Lex traced his fingers over her body while thinking to himself. He loved her and hoped he wasn't going to screw it up all over again. "Move in with me Chloe, sort of."

Chloe stopped and stared at Lex as if he had lost his mind. "Move in with you? Lex, I live in New York."

"That's why I said sort of. I have an apartment there. It would be sort of because I would only be there when I had business." She looked nervous and Lex could barely see her lip quiver in the early morning light. "Chloe, I'm not asking you to marry me or have my children, not that hasn't crossed my mind before. I just want to know I finally have someone to come home to when I happen to be in New York." He paused. "Please."

Chloe heard the desperation in his voice and the please he never would offer anyone else. Chloe turned on her side and looked at him. Sitting up, she glanced over Lex and then at the door.

"Ok, if you beat me to the shower, I'll move in with you. On three." Lex sat up and whipped the sheets off his naked body. Gazing over him again, Chloe prayed he would win. She wanted to wake up like this every morning. "Ok, one…two…" and she was off.

From behind her, he heard Lex cuss and call out cheater. Feeling a pair of hands around her, she tried harder to run but knew she was now not touching the ground. Still trying to run in the air, Lex turned and dropped her on the living room side of the bathroom doorway. "I win."

"You cheated."

"Look who's talking; you took off before three you little conniver." Lex leaned against the doorway and pulled her against him. "I'm so glad to have Chloe Sullivan back in my life. " He reached down and kissed her before popping the glass shower door open and starting the water. "So, you want to conserve some water together?"

Chloe giggled and followed Lex into the shower.

THE END


End file.
